Top security officials Thursday said that “only specific input-based anti-militancy operations” will continue across Kashmir in Ramadan and all efforts would be made so that religious gatherings are not disturbed.
They said the morale of security forces was up in the wakeof peaceful conduct of Lok Sabha polls and killing of highest number ofmilitants in the first four months of year 2019.
“Though there is no direction from the Centre for Ramdhantruce unlike last year, security grid will be launching operations againstmilitants only after specific input is received,” a top police officer toldGreater Kashmir.
Last year Centre had announced Non-Initiation of CombatOperations (NICO) in Ramadan. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)didn’t extend it beyond a month.
The police officer said that even though a peacefulatmosphere was prevailing in Kashmir, but summer months will be challenging.
“There are many factors responsible for the peacefulatmosphere in Kashmir this year so far. One is that the number of militantskilled since January is highest in the recent years. Since January, 77militants were killed so far. All the foreign militants killed so far werekilled in the hinterland and none was killed on LoC,” the officer revealed. Hesaid given the fact majority of “foreign element” in the Kashmir militancy “wascleaned,” the move resulted in a significant dip in the local militantrecruitment, first time since 2017.
“This year 32 local boys joined militancy. Of them, threereturned to their families, five were killed and four arrested alive,” theofficer said.
He said that the peaceful conduct of polls including thewell-thought out plan of conducting polls in sensitive south Kashmir in threephases worked well and resulted in a morale booster for the security forces inKashmir. “Having said all this, we won’t be lowering the guard as upcomingsummer months pose a great challenge as we will have the annual Amarnath Yatraand also the chances of surge in the infiltration attempts on the LoC,” hesaid.