SRINAGAR: Contrary to the Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik's recent statement that violence in the Valley has declined in the last two months, data reveal that militant-related incidents in strife-torn Kashmir in the last two months were at the highest in the last ten months.
According to police statistics, October was the bloodiest month in the last ten months in the Valley.
"52 casualties took place across the Valley in October. Among the dead, 28 were militants, 14 civilians, three policemen, a paramilitary SSB man, an ASI of CISF and five Army men," they said.
Three of the security men were killed in sniper firing by Jaish-e-Mohammad militants. It was for the first time in the over two-decade-long militancy in the state that militants targeted security personnel with snipers and inflicted casualties on them.
Among the deceased militants were two scholars-turned-militants Manan Wani and Sabzar Ahmad, both of the Hizbul Mujahideen.
Manan, who had joined militancy in January this year, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Handwara area of Kupwara on October 12 while Sabzar, who had joined militancy immediately after the encounter of Burhan Wani in July 2016, was killed in gunfight with security forces in Nowgam area on the outskirts of Srinagar on October 25.
September was the bloodiest month in the Valley as 45 people were killed out of which 33 were militants, five civilians, four policemen and three Army men.
45 casualties also took place in the Valley in August. Of the 45 casualties, 24 were militants, eight policemen, seven Army men and six civilians, reveals the statistics.
Governor Malik had recently told reporters in Jammu that militancy-related violence in the Valley declined in the last two months.
Satya Pal Malik took over as Governor the State on August 23 this year, replacing N N Vohra.
Vohra was the longest-serving Governor of the State. He had taken over as Governor of the border State in 2008 and had been given two extensions.