SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir had a relatively peaceful January as compared to the previous two years with only four militancy incidents in the first month. Of the four cases, two were grenade attacks — one on an ITBP vehicle at Awantipora in south Kashmir on January 2 in which eight civilians were injured while the other was on a police patrol party in Chatroo, Kishtwar on January 22.
Luckily, the second grenade attack did not cause any injury or damage. A soldier was killed and three others injured in an IED attack on an Army vehicle at Shamsipora area in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on January 27. The first face-to-face gunfight between militants and security forces this year took place on January 29 at Tral area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
It ended with the elimination of three Hizb ul militants. Last year, 10 encounters took place between militants and security forces in the Valley which ended with the death of 23 militants including Jaish chief Qari Yasir. Two security men were also killed in January last year. In 2019, 10 militancy incidents took place in which 20 people, including 17 militants, were killed.
According to an MHA report, there were 244 militancy related incidents in J&K in 2020 as compared to 594 in 2019. It stated that 37 civilians and 62 security men were killed and 112 civilians and 106 security personnel injured in militancy violence in 2020. “In comparison, 39 civilians and 80 security men were killed and 188 civilians and 140 security men injured in militancy violence in 2019.”