BSF Director General E N Ram Mohan, speaking to The Indian Express, is genuinely surprised at the unprecedented guerrilla tactics adopted by the Pak-sponsored militants. Never known for the unusual fearless streak which they are displaying now -- New Delhi routinely terms them as `mercenaries' who indulge only in hit-and-run strikes -- their new approach has left him puzzled. And for a reason. ``Normally,'' points out Ram Mohan, ``the attackers in such operations outnumber the target by a ration of 2:1; that is, a camp of 100 officials should be targeted by at least 200 people.'' But what happened in the Kupwara's Rashtriya Rifles camp, which came under the militants' fire fortwo days, defied logic, he says. Here, 30 odd militants struck at some 90 officials in the camp, thus reversing the ratio to a suicidal 1:3.

But Ram Mohan is hopeful that the attacks on the static targets, though somewhat mysterious, will soon be contained. ``If they try it too often, they will suerely get caught,'' he says.

Two factors, according to Ram Mohan, have contributed to a sudden spurt in the Kashmir militancy in the post-Kargil period:

* The end of 1998 saw the combined Army-BSF-local police operations yielding rich dividends that left over 100 foreign militants dead. However, when the Army and security forces brigades, after finishing their terms, started moving out of the valley this year, they were diverted towards Kargil. These units were not immediately replaced, and as a result, a vacuum was created in major parts of the Kashmir, barring the Kargil areas where all the forces have rushed. ``In Kashmir, you just cannot afford to have a vacuum,'' argues Ram Mohan. This vacuum, aheaven-sent opportunity for the militants who took control of high ridges on the Indian side, remained for almost all of May.

* The Pak-army regulars infiltrated areas in Kargil, but behind them were positioned the heavily-armed foreign militants. And while the infiltrators were retreating after the Kargil conflicts, the militants were sneaking into Indian territory from other areas, virtually unnoticed as the focus, as well as security forces, were on Kargil.

Ram Mohan says the infiltration of foreign militants during the Kargil conflict took place mainly from Kupwara, Uri and Baramulla. ``Some ifiltration also occurred in Poonch and Rajouri sectors,'' he adds.

As it is, the foreign militants now appear to have an upper hand in the valley and its nearby areas. Intelligence reports reaching North Block and BSF suggests they have occupied ridges on Shamshabari range of hills that effectively encircle several strategic towns in North Kashmir, such as Bandipur, Sopore, Kupwara, Uri and Baramulla.

Themilitants' shift from the earlier hit-and-run operations to the current hit-and-engages strikes is a prominent turning point in their approach, but it's not the only one. The new approach, according to senior security officials in Kupwara and New Delhi is lso characterised by such features as respect for the women-folk and doling out much more cash to the locals for providing shelter as well as escape routes from the security forces.

The Home Ministry-prepared Action Plan for Kashmir is still in force. But with the militants now upping the ante, say observers, a fresh revision of the plan is called for. ``It appears that the militants have taken a leaf from our Action Plan and have now become more pro-active than us. This certainly warrants some introspection,'' said one.