Militancy related violence in Kashmir has recorded a sharp increase this year, with 163 persons killed in the first four months of 2019, according to official figures accessed by Greater Kashmir.
The killings include 18 civilians, 60 security forcespersonnel and 85 militants during the intensified counterinsurgency operationsacross the Kashmir valley.
The highest number, 70 were killed in February, 23 inJanuary, 36 in March and 15 in April.
Between January and March this year, 43 armed encounterstook place between militants and security forces, resulting into the killing ofaround 60 militants, according to the date available with security agencies.
However, the number of killings and encounters were down inApril and May apparently because of the general elections.
During the polling period, the official data reveals thatthere have been nine encounters in which 27 persons died, and in one encountermilitants managed their escape.
However, as the polling ended, Kashmir valley again startedto record a sharp increase in militancy related violence.
Senior police officers believe that the deadly suicide carbomb attack in Pulwama in February which prompted Indian airstrikes in Pakistanincreasingly shaped up as a milestone for Kashmir insurgency which has seen afall for the first time in recent years.
“Its impact was visible in the parliamentary poll whichconcluded without any major attack,” said a senior police officer.
A senior police officer posted in southern Kashmir said theaftermath of the Pulwama attack proved costly for militants as back-to-backcounterinsurgency operations led to the killing of key militant commanders.
The officer said that after the Pulwama attack about 60militants have been killed and among them 33 belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)which had claimed responsibility for the suicide strike.
“The leadership of the J-e-M has been decimated,” the policeofficer said.
“Among the killed militants were its key commanders,including those who planned the attack.”
The officer said that massive offensive against foreignmilitants has severely impacted the insurgency in the Kashmir valley and alsoclaimed that militant recruitment dropped drastically in recent months.
Recently, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police,Dilbagh Singh claimed that there were “satisfying” trends in thecounterinsurgency campaign as the recruitment of youth into militancy haddrastically decreased, surrenders by militants had increased and civilianprotests during anti-militant operations had also reduced.
In 2018 according to home ministry figures, 270 militants,86 civilians, 95 security forces personnel were killed in militancy-relatedincidents. Both militants and security forces hardened the fight during theyear marked by big gunfights, civilian abductions and execution videos, a firstsince insurgency erupted in Kashmir three decades ago.