Marked decline recorded in terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir this year

New Delhi: There has been a decrease in terrorist violence in Kashmir with 70 incidents reported this year against 107 in the same period last year, said sources in security establishment on Monday.

According to the report, security forces were able to foil six attempts of IED blast in Kashmir Valley by the terrorists through their timely detection, preventing serious casualties.

The report said that the security forces have been able to stabilise the situation in Kashmir after Article 370 was abolished last year in August. It said security forces carried out aggressive anti-terrorists operations to prevent them from creating trouble in the Valley and also increased alertness at the LoC to prevent Pakistan from sending large number of terrorists into Kashmir.

Due to these measures, the number of active terrorists present right now in Kashmir Valley has come down to below 200.

Last year there were intelligence reports that some 350 terrorists were waiting at various launch pads in PoK  to infiltrate into J-K. However, Pakistan has increased  ceasefire violations with 2,662 such incidents reported along LoC till July end.

In current year, security forces were able to kill 148 terrorists out of which 14 were foreign terrorists from HM, LeT and JeM. In 2019, 152 terrorists were killed in Kashmir by security forces. In 2018, 215 terrorists were neutralized by security forces.

This has also resulted in decrease in protests and stone pelting incidents. The report said that local recruitment is now mostly restricted to "four districts of South Kashmir." Till June 2020, 74 people are reported to have joined terrorist outfits. In 2019, the local recruitment to various terrorists groups was 119 and in 2018 it was around 219.

Security forces also foiled terrorists attempt to carry out terror activities in Jammu division and has killed seven terrorists in Doda and Kishtwar since August 2019, said the report.