Srinagar, Aug 5: Over 500 terrorists have been killed in Kashmir since 2019 while the number of security force personnel and the civilians killed in the terrorists’ related violence has significantly come down from 481 to 284 in the last three years, following the abrogation of Article 370.
At the same time, an intensified crackdown on terror related network continued across Jammu and Kashmir. Anti-terror agencies National Investigation Agency (NIA) and State Investigation Agency (SIA) carried out raids at scores of places.
Giving a break up, Additional Director General of Police, Kashmir zone, Vijay Kumar said that as many as 284 people, including 174 security forces personnel and 110 civilians, were killed in the terrorists’ related incidents in Kashmir since August 5, 2019.
In a tweet, Vijay Kumar also gave a break up of these figures prior to abrogation. He said that 290 security forces personnel and 191 civilians were killed during the period from August 5, 2016 to August 4, 2019.
He said that there were 438 “law and order” incidents from August 5, 2019 to August 4, 2022. The number of such incidents during August 5, 2016 to August 4, 2019 was “3686.”
The Kashmir Police chief said that while six police and security forces men were killed in “Law & Order” (related incidents) from August 5, 2016 to August 4, 2019, the number was zero for subsequent three years, following the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
CRACKDOWN ON TERROR
Besides, killing of terrorists in encounters across Kashmir, ant-terror agencies, NIA and SIA carried out raids and arrested accused at several places during the past three years. For constant pressure on terror network, NIA carried out raids at over 80 locations across J&K.
Over 500 terrorists have been killed in Kashmir since 2019 and there has been a decrease reported in locals joining terrorist ranks.
Besides raids, law enforcing agency J&K Police also attached properties of people who were accused of harbouring terrorists. In Srinagar 10 residential properties were attached for harbouring terrorists.
The government also dismissed over 30 employees, including policemen, teachers and senior officials, from their services on the basis of adverse police reports to deter locals from nursing separatist sentiments.
Late separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s grandson and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin’s two sons were among those shunted from government services.
Besides, the senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani passed away last year yet the situation remained peaceful. J&K police credited the peaceful situation to people for their active cooperation.
During this period, J&K police and security agencies maintained that hybrid terrorism, narco-terrorism were the challenges. Police however maintained that they had been successful in stopping locals from joining terror ranks.
According to police, all the targeted killings since October last year were carried out by hybrid terrorists. The crackdown on narco -terrorism has also been intensified.
“We are working on several fronts to prevent local terrorist recruitment. The support of parents is absolutely necessary. Parents have played a vital role in bringing a large number of youths back from terrorist ranks. We are also tracking new recruits through technical surveillance,” ADGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said.