New Delhi:

Jammu and Kashmir recorded a decline of over 70 per cent in terror-related activities in the past five years but civilian killings continue to remain a major concern amid a surge in such cases in the region this year, a top bureaucrat in the Home Ministry informed a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs.

Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan said the Union territory registered a considerable drop in civilian killings over the past five years, but the figure stands higher this year in comparison to last year. Besides, a steep decline in the number of terrorists killed in various operations and encounters with security forces during the given period has also been recorded, sending alarm bells ringing in government circles.

The information was provided at a time when Jammu and Kashmir has been witnessing a marked escalation in terror attacks and counter-terrorism operations, especially after the assembly elections – the first in a decade – in September and October.

The ministry said that as many as 50 civilians were killed in 2019 in the Union territory. While the figure came down to 14 by the first week of November this year, it is nearly three times more than what was recorded last year, when five civilians were killed by terrorists.

The Centre also said that 73 cases of attacks on civilians were reported in 2019 but these were reduced to 10 this year.

According to the Home Ministry, the number of terror-related incidents registered a sharp decline from 286 in 2019 to only 40 by the first week of November this year.

Likewise, 96 instances of terror attacks on security forces were reported in 2019. The figure rose to 111 a year later but subsequently declined from then onwards. A total of 111 cases were recorded in 2020, 95 in 2021, 65 in 2022, 15 in 2023 and five this year.

On the killings of security personnel, the ministry’s data said 77 cases were reported in 2019, which was reduced to 58 in 2020, 29 in 2021, 26 in 2022, 11 in 2023 and seven in 2024.

The ministry also provided data on the number of terrorists killed in the region in various operations and encounters.

“In 2019 as many as 142 terrorists were killed but this year the number is around 44. This a cause of worry as it means that despite various efforts we are not able to eliminate them,” a senior officer said, seeking anonymity.

The ministry said that the number of grenade attacks decreased from 49 in 2019 to one this year. Similarly, the number of infiltration bids by terrorists was reduced from 141 to three during these five years.

Home ministry officials said the safety of civilians has been a key focus area of the Narendra Modi government. As part of “Vision @ 2047” (the Centre’s Viksit Bharat plan to make India a developed nation by 2047), the ministry said it seeks to develop a safe, harmonious and prosperous India with safe borders, and that this could be achieved through strong internal security, cyberspace, transparent criminal justice system and prosperous borders.

In Jammu & Kashmir, the government intends to eliminate terrorist support and terror financing networks, besides taking legal action against “anti-India elements”, the officials said.

New Delhi:

National Conference boss Farooq Abdullah has called out Pakistan as the source of terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and warned that country to “put an end” to its constant attacks. He urged Islamabad to “find a way to be friends… otherwise issues will arise”.

His comment follows a worrying series of terror attacks in the former state, including one late Thursday night in which an Army vehicle in Baramulla was targeted and four people – two soldiers and two civilians – were killed. Three days earlier six construction workers and a doctor were gunned down.

“These (terror attacks) will continue in the state till we find a suitable solution… we are all aware of the origin. For 30 years I have witnessed the killing of innocent people. Why are they (Pakistan) doing this and sabotaging their own future… when we will not be a part of Pakistan?”

“Many of our colleagues have been martyred… but it continues every year and you know the ones responsible for it. They mistakenly think this will help them unite Kashmir with Pakistan…”

Baramulla, J&K: JKNC President Farooq Abdullah reacts to the recent terror attack, says, “I have been witnessing this since 1984. This terrorism has not stopped. Many of our colleagues were martyred, but it still continues every year. This means it has not stopped, and you know… pic.twitter.com/isPorL3eCf

— IANS (@ians_india) October 25, 2024

“They ought to focus on problems facing their nation. I urge them to put an end to this and find a way to be friends… otherwise, issues will arise.” Mr Abdullah told a local news channel.

“I am sorry to the families of those who were hurt and those who died,” he said, echoing the statement last night by his son and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Very unfortunate news about the attack on the army vehicles in the Boota Pathri area of North Kashmir which has resulted in some casualties & injuries. This recent spate of attacks in Kashmir is a matter of serious concern. I condemn this attack is the strongest possible terms &…

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 24, 2024

Earlier today intelligence community sources told NDTV of a terrorist training camp in Pakistan’s Abbottabad – the home of former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden – running next to a Pak Army base.

READ | ‘Terror Factory’ In Pak’s Abbottabad, Where Bin Laden Had Base

Farooq Abdullah’s comment also comes amid criticism from the BJP, which pounced on a statement by Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif that the NC and the Congress’ position on restoration of Article 370 – which was mentioned in their election manifestos – were the same. “Pakistan, a terrorist state, endorses Congress and NC’s position on Kashmir…” the BJP’s Amit Malviya said on X.

READ | “I Don’t Know What Pak Says. I Am An Indian Citizen”: Farooq Abdullah

Mr Abdullah’s party swept to victory in this month’s J&K Assembly election – the first in a decade for the former state, which was lost special status in 2019 and bifurcated into two union territories.

The NC had allied with the Congress, under the INDIA bloc banner, but eventually did not need the beleaguered national party’s support, winning 42 of 90 elected seats on its own and then being backed by four independents and the lone AAP MLA, taking it past the majority mark of 46.

Mr Abdullah’s son, Omar Abdullah, took oath as Chief Minister last week.

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New Delhi:

Terrorists attacked an Army vehicle in the Botapather area of North Kashmir’s Gulmarg, late Thursday, sources told NDTV. At least five soldiers have been injured.

The attack comes hours after a labourer was shot at and injured in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. The injured man was later identified as Pritam Singh, a resident of Uttar Pradesh.

The attack earlier today was the second in Ganderbal in the past 72 hours.

Three days earlier six construction workers and a doctor were killed after terrorists – at least two of them – attacked a housing camp for construction workers building a tunnel.

READ | 6 Workers, Doctor Killed In “Dastardly” Terror Attack In J&K

Those killed were identified as Dr Shahnawaz from Nayidgam Kashmir’s Budgam and Gurmeet Singh from Punjab’s Gurdaspur, while Mohammad Haneef, Faheem Nasir, and Kaleem were from Bihar.

The sixth and seventh were Madhya Pradesh’s Anil Shukla and Shashi Abrol from Jammu.

READ | On CCTV, 2 Terrorists Seen Entering J&K Camp Before Attack

The attackers left behind an INSAS rifle.

Omar Abdullah – the newly-elected Chief Minister – called it a “dastardly and cowardly attack on non-local labourers”. Mr Abdullah said, “They were working on a key infrastructure project. I strongly condemn this attack on unarmed innocent people and send my condolences to their loved ones.”

The Ganderbal attack was the worst on civilians in recent months, and took place just says after Mr Abdullah, whose party won the October 8 election, the first in a decade, took his oath of office.

A day after that attack a newly-formed terror group – called Tehreek Labaik Ya Muslim – was dismantled following raids across several districts of the former state.

READ | Major Anti-Terror Op In J&K, New Terror Group Dismantled

The raids were conducted in the districts of Srinagar, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Kulgam, Budgam, Anantnag, and Pulwama. According to the police, the primary objective was to neutralise a recruitment module within the TLM that was actively involved in recruiting young men into terrorist activities.

With input from agencies

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New Delhi:

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has paid tribute to the four soldiers killed on Monday in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda. “Today, our soldiers were martyred in another terrorist encounter in Jammu and Kashmir. I pay my humble tribute to the martyrs and express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” he posted in Hindi on X Tuesday morning.

Mr Gandhi, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said the number of such attacks on Indian soldiers in J&K in the past few months is “extremely sad and worrying”.

He also hit out at the government for the “poor condition of Jammu and Kashmir” and said the soldiers there are “bearing the brunt of the BJP’s wrong policies”. The “wrong policies” reference has been seen as an attack on the Modi government over the scrapping of Article 370 in J&K.

“It is the demand of every patriotic Indian that the government should take full responsibility for repeated security lapses,” Mr Gandhi said and called for “strict action” against the terrorists.

आज जम्मू कश्मीर में फिर से एक आतंकी मुठभेड़ में हमारे जवान शहीद हो गए। शहीदों को विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि अर्पित करते हुए शोक संतप्त परिजनों को गहरी संवेदनाएं व्यक्त करता हूं।

एक के बाद एक ऐसी भयानक घटनाएं बेहद दुखद और चिंताजनक है।

लगातार हो रहे ये आतंकी हमले जम्मू कश्मीर की जर्जर…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 16, 2024

However, Mr Gandhi also underlined the need for political unity at this time, and the importance of the opposition supporting the government as it responds to the increased terror threat.

“In this hour of grief, the entire country stands united against terrorism,” he said.

Four soldiers, including an officer, were killed in action in Doda district. The terrorists had attacked a joint operation – of the Army and J&K Police – formed to track them down.

READ | 4 Soldiers Killed In Action In Encounter With Terrorists In J&K’s Doda

Contact was made late Monday night, the Army had said.

The operation is ongoing, NDTV has been told.

Sources told NDTV Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi and took stock of the ground situation and ongoing operation in Doda.

This was the second major encounter in the Jammu region after five soldiers were killed in action in Kathua last week. That attack, in which five were also injured, was a coordinated strike on two trucks – with grenades and armour-piercing bullets, and an American-made assault rifle.

READ | Kathua Terror Attack On 2 Trucks, Armour-Piercing Bullets Used

The attacks, which began in Poonch and Rajouri, have now spread across Jammu, a region that was free from terrorism till a few years ago. In the last 32 months, 48 soldiers have been killed.

Earlier this month Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Parliament the fight against terrorism in J&K is in its last stage, and that a multi-pronged strategy had been adopted to destroy the remaining network. “Our fight against terrorism in J&K, in a way, is in last stage, last leg. We are moving with a multi-pronged strategy to eliminate the remaining terror network there,” he said.

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Srinagar:

Security forces have engaged terrorists in a forested area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district.

Officials said the encounter broke after intelligence about the presence of two-three terrorists in the upper reaches of the district’s Goli-Gadi forest. The terrorists have been pinned down.

This comes a day after five soldiers were killed, and five others injured, in Kathua district, about 200 km away, after a coordinated terror strike on two military trucks carrying at least a dozen troops.

It is unlikely, sources said, the terrorists trapped in Doda were involved in Monday’s attack.

The Kathua attack was the second on the Army in the preceding 48 hours; on Sunday terrorists attacked a military camp in Rajouri. One soldier was injured but the attack was repulsed.

READ | Kathua Attack Saw Strike On 2 Trucks, Armour-Piercing Bullets

There are reports over 60 foreign terrorists – trained in jungle warfare – may be operating in the Jammu region alone, even as the shadow of fear has spread across all 10 districts of the province.

Over the last 32 months 44 soldiers have been killed in the Jammu region, which was believed to be free from terrorism. However, in most case the terrorists escape without suffering casualties.

India has vowed to avenge the Kathua attack.

READ | “Won’t Go Unavenged”: India’s Message On Kathua Ambush

Without naming Pakistan, the Defence Ministry said ‘evil forces’ will be defeated.

“Fight Against Terror In Last Stage”

Last week Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Parliament the fight against terrorism in J&K is in its last stage, and that a multi-pronged strategy had been adopted to destroy the remaining network.

READ | Fight Against Terrorism In J&K In Last Stage: PM Modi

“Our fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, in a way, is in last stage, last leg. We are moving with a multi-pronged strategy to eliminate the remaining terror network there,” PM Modi had said.

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Srinagar:

Army vehicles were attacked by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, which borders Punjab’s Pathankot, on Monday afternoon. Two soldiers have been injured and have been shifted to hospital for treatment. The initial attack has been fought off and an encounter is underway.

Reinforcements have been rushed in and a search op has been launched to track down the terrorists.

This is the second attack on the Indian Army in the Jammu region in the past 48 hours.

On Sunday an Army camp in Rajouri district was attacked. One soldier was injured.

Today’s attack comes 24 hours after six terrorists were killed across two separate encounters in J&K’s Kulgam district. The encounters, which began on Saturday, also claimed the lives of two soldiers, including a para-trooper, while another soldier sustained injuries, police told NDTV.

The first encounter took place in Modergam village when security forces, comprising the CRPF or Central Reserve Police Force, the Army, and local police, launched a search op based on intelligence about terrorist presence. In the initial exchange of gunfire, a para-trooper was fatally wounded.

READ | After Twin Encounters, Reports Of Firing Near Rajouri Army Camp

The operation escalated into a full-scale assault on a target house where terrorists took shelter. By late Saturday night, security forces destroyed the house and recovered the body of two terrorists.

Simultaneously, another fierce gun battle unfolded in Kulgam’s Frisal area. Drone footage revealed the bodies of four terrorists after a long firefight. One soldier was killed and another injured in this fight.

VIDEO | 4 Terrorists Killed Hid In ‘Bunker’, Entry From Fake Cupboard

The four shot dead in Frisal were identified as Yawar Bashir Dar, Zahid Ahmad Dar, Tawheed Ahmad Rather and Shakeel ah Wani. The two in Madergam were identified as Faisal and Adil.

Para Commando and Lance Naik Pradeep Nain was killed in action in Modergam, while Havaldar Raj Kumar of 1 Rashtriya Rifles was killed in action in the Frisal area.

In a separate incident in the Rajouri district, there were reports of firing near an army camp. One soldier was injured, and although initial reports suggested an attempted overnight terror attack on the Manjakote army camp, the army has yet to confirm these details.

On Sunday, security agency sources said a Pakistan-based operative of the Resistance Front, a unit of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, was behind this spike in terror activities in J&K.

READ | Lashkar’s Most-Wanted Terrorist Behind J&K Attacks

Idenitifed as Saifullah Sajid Jatt, from Shangamanga village in Kasur district of Pakistan’s Punjab, the NIA has said he is a “hardcore terrorist” and placed a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head.

J&K has witnessed a string of terror attacks over the past couple of months.

Last month, terrorists opened fire at a bus in which pilgrims were travelling. The bus fell into a gorge in Reasi district and nine people were killed. Days later, two armed terrorists entered a village and opened fire. Security forces arrived and, in the gunfight that followed, a CRPF personnel was killed.

The terrorists were shot dead.

Last month three terrorists were killed after a fierce gunfight broke out between terrorists and security forces in the Gandoh area of Doda district in J&K, the police said. These terrorists were believed to have been involved in recent attacks on the Army and the police in the Kashmir Valley.

READ | 3 Terrorists Shot Dead In Gunfight With Security Forces In J&K’s Doda

A huge cache of arms and ammunition, including US-made M4 carbines, were recovered.

“Fight Against Terror In Last Stage”

Last week Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Parliament the fight against terrorism in J&K is in its last stage, and that a multi-pronged strategy had been adopted to destroy the remaining network.

READ | Fight Against Terrorism In J&K In Last Stage: PM Modi

“Our fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, in a way, is in last stage, last leg. We are moving with a multi-pronged strategy to eliminate the remaining terror network there,” PM Modi had said.

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