J&K 2017 : Record number of terrorists killed by security forces in 2017 – Full Report

J&K 2017 : Record number of terrorists killed by security forces in 2017 – Full Report

The year 2017 saw some tough action by the security forces and a fresh political initiative to resolve the Kashmir issue by the Centre.

Appointment of an interlocutor followed a crackdown on several separatist leaders, who were suspected of receiving money from Pakistan to finance unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

The year also witnessed record cross-border activities including violations of ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan.

TERROR INCIDENTS IN KASHMIR

According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), a total of 349 people were killed in Jammu and Kashmir in terror related incidents till December 24. A total of 214 terrorists were killed in action by the security forces.

The number of casualties among terrorists was the highest after 2010, when 270 militants were killed in encounters with the security forces. Those killed included some top militant commanders such as Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Bashir Ahmad Wani, Abu Dujana and Junaid Mattoo, and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen’s Sabzar Ahmad Bhat.

However, 78 jawans also lost their lives during the year in terror related incidents. This is the joint-second highest number since 2009, when equal number of security personnel were killed.

The civilian casualty was unusually high this year in Jammu and Kashmir with 57 people losing their lives in terrorist attacks. This is the highest number of civilians’ death after 2008, when 69 were killed.

CRACKDOWN ON MILITANCY

Unlike 2016, the security forces adopted tough measures in dealing with militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. The forces had a hard time in dealing with stone-pelting following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8 last year.

The incidents of coordinated stone-pelting came down drastically this year. This was attributed to action by the security forces against militant groups as also probes by National Investigating Agency (NIA) into “terror funding”.

The arrests of separatist leaders and others by NIA were preceded by efforts to obtain information through improved intelligence. As part of its ongoing probe in the terror-funding cases, NIA seized nearly Rs 36.5 crore in demonetised currency in November.

The government has also made efforts to wean away youth from the influence of separatists by taking steps to boost investment and employment in the state.

CEASEFIRE VIOLATIONS

Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a total of 881 ceasefire violations this year, highest in the past several years, along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border resulting in the death of 34 people.

Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir 771 times till December 10, and 110 times along the IB till November-end. In these incidents of firing from across the border, 30 people – 14 Army personnel, 12 civilians and four BSF personnel – were killed.

The truce between India and Pakistan along the International Border, the Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003.

FRESH MOVES FOR TALKS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to the Valley in his August 15 Independence Day speech from New Delhi’s Red Fort and said Kashmir’s problems can be solved only by embracing its people, not with bullets or abuses.

The government has said its policy to restore peace and normalcy in Kashmir has focus on five Cs — “compassion, communication, co-existence, confidence-building and consistency”.
As part of efforts to address the sense of alienation and improve infrastructure in the sensitive border state, the Modi government released funds under its Rs 80,000 crore package for the state announced in 2015.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh made five visits to Kashmir during the year and emphasised that the government was willing to talk to anyone in the state.

In October, the government appointed Dineshwar Sharma, a former Intelligence Bureau chief, as its special representative to “initiate and carry forward a dialogue with elected representatives, various organisations and concerned individuals” in Jammu and Kashmir.