Kashmir: No killings reported in last 35 days

The overall violence in the region as well dropped by 30 per cent. Militant recruitment also dropped in 2019 to 139 from 218 in 2018.
The last militancy incident – a gunfight between militants and security forces took place at Drabgam village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on November 26. (File Photo | PTI)
The last militancy incident – a gunfight between militants and security forces took place at Drabgam village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on November 26. (File Photo | PTI)

SRINAGAR:  The year 2019 ended on a peaceful note in Kashmir with no killings taking place in the militancy-hit region over the last 35 days. Militant and security forces killings witnessed a drop as compared to 2018. The overall violence in the region as well dropped by 30 per cent. Militant recruitment also dropped in 2019 to 139 from 218 in 2018. The last militancy incident – a gunfight between militants and security forces took place at Drabgam village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on November 26 in which two militants were killed.

Since then, there has been calm in the Valley. This though is contrary to the start of the year, where in the first month itself seventeen militants and two security men were killed. In February, 49 security personnel and 23 militants died in militancy-related violence. Of the 49 security personnel killed, 40 paramilitary CRPF men died in a single militant attack —  a suicide bombing by a member of Jaish-e-Mohammad on a CRPF vehicle – at Lethpora, Pulwama on Srinagar-Jammu national highway on February 14. It was the deadliest militant attack in over three decades-long militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.

Director-General of J&K Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh told media persons today that 160 militants were killed this year. This is a decrease when compared to 257 in 2018. The militants killed belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH) and ISJK. Of the 160 militants, only 20 were killed since August 5 when Article 370 was scrapped. Militancy violence dropped since then because security forces remained focused on maintaining law and order situation in the region. 

Lives lost in the Valley

  • 83 security personnel including 11 policemen were killed in 2019
  • At least 50 civilians were also killed in militancy violence in Valley 
  • 139 local youth joined militancy in 2019 as compared to 218 in 2018

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