166 per cent increase in civilian casualties in J&K last year
Infiltration attempts from across the border also witnessed an increase from 371 in 2016 to 406 in 2017.
New Delhi: There was a 166 per cent increase in civilian casualties in Jammu and Kashmir last year as compared to 2016, while there was an increase of 42 per cent in the number of militants eliminated by the security forces in the State during the same period. Similarly, there was a drop of 2.44 per cent in casualties among security forces last year over the previous corresponding period.
According to Home Ministry’s annual report for 2017-18 ever since militancy started in the State in 1990 as many as 13,976 civilians and 5,123 security personnel have been killed as of December 31, 2017.
The report states that there was an increase of 6.21 per cent increase in terror incidents last year over the previous as 2017 saw 342 such attacks leading to the killing of 80 security personnel, 40 civilians and 213 terrorists respectively. During the same period in 2016 a total of 322 incidents of terror attack were reported in the State leading to casualties of 82 security personnel, 15 civilians and 150 terrorists.
Infiltration attempts from across the border also witnessed an increase from 371 in 2016 to 406 in 2017. Out of these 123 infiltration were successful in 2017 as compared to 119 in 2016. The report mentions the Centre along with the State Government has put in place a multiple strategy to check infiltration by further strengthening of the border infrastructure as well as putting in place a multi-tiered and multi-model security deployment both along the International Border and Line of Control.
It has been the endeavour, the report adds, of the Government to allow security forces to follow a proactive and co-ordinated measures to check cross-border terror and to control militancy.
Home ministry also claimed that Centre wants to ensure that the democratic process in the State continues and primacy of civil administration is restored which in turn would held resolve the socio-econmic problems being faced by the public due to prolonged militancy in the state.