Srinagar: Amid a spate of militant attacks over the past few weeks, especially in Jammu region, the Centre on Tuesday informed Lok Sabha that a total of 28 people, including civilians and security personnel, were killed in 11 terror-related incidents and 24 encounters operations till July 21 this year.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pradeep Kumar Singh on behalf of the MHA, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, while replying to a query, submitted a written reply in the Lower House said there is a “decline in the number of terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir” compared to previous years.
Sharing the data, Rai said that a total of 14 security personnel and 14 civilians were killed up to July 21 this year, while the number of killings was 44 (30 security personnel and 14 civilians) in 46 terrorist-initiated incidents and 48 encounters or counter-terror operations in the Union Territory in 2023.
Rai citing data extracted from J&K administration said that 146 people (91 security personnel and 55 civilians) were killed in 228 terrorist-initiated incidents and 189 encounters or counter-terror operations in the erstwhile state in 2018. “There were 1328 organized stone pelting incidents and 52 organized Hartals in 2018,” he said.
Maintaining that there is a decline in terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, Rai attributed the result to the “zero tolerance” policy of the central government against militancy.
“The approach of the Government is to dismantle the terror ecosystem. Security measures are being strengthened to sustain peace and stability in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
“The strategies adopted and actions taken to contain acts of terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir include effective, continuous, and sustained actions against terrorists and support structures, as well as the dismantling of the terror ecosystem using a whole-government approach,” he said.
Notably, the Jammu and Kashmir, especially Jammu region, has over the past several weeks witnessed a spate of militant attacks.
