NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be chairing a high-level meeting on Thursday evening to review security situation of Jammu and Kashmir.
As many as five civilians have been killed in Kashmir in the first five days of October, sending shock waves through the Valley. The meeting will be attended by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, chiefs of the IB, CRPF and BSF, sources said.
One of the agendas of the meeting will be to neutralize any threats emanating from Afghanistan in view of Kabul’s takeover by the Taliban.
According to a senior official, data compiled, about violence in the Valley, shows that both civilian and security personnel toll have decreased in Kashmir over the past year.
Till September 30, 23 civilians were killed by terrorists, whereas the toll last year for the same period was 25.
Besides, the number of civilians killed in an encounter this year was one, while five people were killed last year in encounter crossfires, according to the government data accessed by this newspaper.
As far as casualties among the security forces are concerned, 23 security force personnel were killed till September-end, while the toll was 47 last year.
At the same time, nine terrorists have surrendered till September-end, up from six terrorists last year.
The government data shows that there has been no let up by the police in terms of arrests of terrorists. J&K police nabbed 254 terrorists till the end of last month, against 256 in the last year.
Thursday’s meeting also assumes importance because Shah will be visiting Jammu and Kashmir in mid of October as a part of the Centre’s mega outreach programme in which 70 union ministers had to visit J&K.
This will be Shah’s first trip to the Union territory that was carved out of the erstwhile state after its special status under the Constitution was effectively revoked.