SRINAGAR: The militant violence and security forces casualties in Jammu and Kashmir witnessed very significant rise in 2016 as compared to the previous year.
According to report prepared by Ministry of Home Affairs, the militant violence in J&K witnessed 54.81 % increase in Jammu and Kashmir last year as compared to 2015.
“322 militancy related incidents took place in the State last year as compared to 208 such incidents in 2015. In 2014, 222 militancy related incidents had taken place while in 2013 the figure was 170,” it revealed.
The militants carried out major attacks last year including attack on J&K Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) building, attack on CRPF convoy at Pampore and attack on heavily fortified army base in Uri, close to Line of Control (LoC).
The report disclosed that security forces casualties in State witnessed 110.25% rise last year as compared to 2015.
In 2016, 82 security force personnel were killed, while the figure stood at 39 in 2015, 47 in 2014 and 53 in 2013, it stated.
As per the report, the militant violence also witnessed rise in militant casualties in 2016 as compared to 2015.
“150 militants were killed in 2016 while 108 had died in gunfights with security forces in 2015. In 2013 and 2014, 67 and 110 militants were respectively killed in the State,” it further stated.
However, the civilian casualties in militancy violence witnessed decline in 2016.
As per the report, only 15 civilians were killed in militancy violence in J&K in 2016. “The figure stood at 17 in 2015, 28 in 2014 and 15 in 2013.”
There was 11.76% decrease in casualties of civilians in J&K in comparison to the corresponding year, added the report.
However, the Valley witnessed about 100 civilian casualties during the unrest last year.
After killing of 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander and Kashmir militancy’s poster boy Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces on July 8 last year, Kashmir witnessed over six months of unrest during which 92 civilians were killed and over 13000 injured in security forces firing.
Of the 13000 injured, 8000 were hit by pellets. Over 2000 youth were hit by pellets in eyes and half a dozen have lost eyesight in both eyes while dozens have lost vision in one eye.