Kashmir has recorded steep decline in the militancy related fatalities this year, official data suggest.
According to this data, 68 persons including 44 militants,10 civilians and 14 security forces personnel have been killed this year sofar.
Among the slain militants, officials said, three werenon-locals, and the identity of 11 was yet to be ascertained. “The slain militants,” they said, “belongedto different militant groups including Hizbul Mujahideen, Lasker-e-Taiba andJosiah Muhammad.”
Officials said among the 14 slain security forces, five fromArmy were killed in five-day Keran Operation. “Besides, three policemen andfive CRPF personnel were also killed.”
A senior officer of counter insurgency grid said there hasbeen no stone pelting during operations this year.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, Vijay Kumar, saidthey were trying to avoid any collateral damage during the operations. “The SOPis being followed in letter and spirit during the operations,” he told GreaterKashmir. He said besides killing 44militants, 12 were apprehended during different operations. “We have alsoarrested over 70 Over Ground Workers of militants,” he said.
The valley police chief said that police and security forcesalso recovered more 25 AK assault rifles near Line of Control in Keran sector.”The consignment was supposedly meant to be handed over to newly recruitedmilitants,” he said.
He said by the recovery of these arms they had managed tocontrol the revival of militancy in many areas.
During this period, the IGP Kashmir said, they had alsoreunited some boys with their families. “They (these boys) were about to join militant ranks, but wereapprehended and handed over to their parents after proper counselling,” hesaid.
He said that J&K Police was busy in COVID19 duty. “Weare making all out efforts with the administration to stop spread of COVID19,”he said.
There was complete lull in the anti-militancy operationsafter Article 370 was revoked and J&K bifurcated in two UTs. However, theanti-militancy operations resumed from the second week of January.
After witnessing decline for almost five months, theanti-militancy operations by the security forces in Kashmir “have intensifiedagain with 12 militants killed in six encounters since January 1.”
Official data reveals that a total of 154 militants werekilled in gun battles across Kashmir in the first seven months of 2019. In nextfive months, only 20 militants were neutralized by the security forces.
Last September, a report prepared by the security agencieshad revealed that there were a total of 273 militants operating in Kashmir.”Out of the 273 active militants, 158 are based in south Kashmir, 96 inNorth Kashmir and 19 in central Kashmir. At 166, the local militants outnumberthe 107 foreign militants operating in Kashmir,” the report revealed.