NEW DELHI: Terrorist activities in Kashmir have come down on various parameters, but the number of foreign terrorists infiltrating the Valley has risen in the last one year compared to the previous year, government sources said.
On another positive count, local youth’s participation in militancy activities has reduced and security forces have been able to check the violence levels and killing of their personnel.
“Till August 1, out of 162 infiltrators, 112 succeeded in entering the Valley. In 2019, 101 had entered out of 241 who made such attempts,” said a government source.
The bigger sign of shift is in 42% decline in youth joining terror groups in the last one year till July 2020 from August 2019. For the same period, 100 local boys have gone into the terrorist fold, making it lesser than 172 who joined last year,” said the source
.The forces neutralized 276 terrorists during the one-year period prior to August 5, 2019. Since January 2020 to date, the 148 terrorists have been neutralized. The 22 terrorists were killed during infiltration before August 5, 2019.
Terrorists could initiate 181 attacks as against 395 (a fall of 54%) and 42 civilians were killed as against 51 during the previous period. The number of security force personnel killed in action declined by 66% with 40 personnel as against 117 personnel losing their lives during the previous period. A similar reduction in injuries to the personnel by 53% was seen (from 207 to 98).
However, there was a rise in the incidents of ceasefire violations: 825 from 368 incidents in the previous period. Poonch bore the maximum brunt while Kathua saw the highest rate of truce violations.75% less ammunition was fired in 2020 compared to the corresponding periods in 2018 and 2019, sources said.
Decline in locals joining terror fold
112 succeeded in entering Kashmir Valley till Aug 1, 2020, 101 had infiltrated during the same period in 2019
100 local youth joined the terrorists fold till Aug 1, 172 locals had joined militancy in the corresponding period
148 terrorists neutralised from July 2019 to Aug 1, 2020, 276 terrorists neutralised during the one-year period till Aug 2019