Terror-related cases in J&K at 4-year high in 2016; killing of terrorists witnessed 300% spike

NEW DELHI: Terror-related violence in Jammu & Kashmir has peaked to its highest level in four years, with incidents up 47 per cent and killing of terrorists witnessing a 300 per cent spike over 2015. Also, with terrorists going after security personnel and their camps, force casualties have jumped 87 per cent from 39 in 2015 to 71 till November 27 this year.

Union minister of state for home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, said terrorist incidents in J&K this year totalled 305 until November 27, up from 208 recorded last year.

The higher incidents, sources told TOI, may be attributed to the long spell of unrest in J&K after Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani’s killing, which led terrorists to take advantage of the preoccupation of security forces and police with law and order duties, and the growing hostilities with Pakistan following the surgical strikes in September .


Incidentally, terror-related incidents in J&K were 170 in 2013 and 222 in 2014. With more than a month to go before the final 2016 figures are in, the terror surge in the state will surely be a source of worry for the central security establishment.

Even though security forces have taken more fatal and nonfatal casualties this year, with 71 killed and 208 personnel injured till November 27, as against 39 and 103 respectively in 2015, civilian killings are down to 14 from 17 in the same period.

Yet, despite the higher casualties, the forces seem to be on top of the terrorists, having killed 140 of them until November 27 this year compared to 46 through 2015. The number of injured terrorists also saw a seven-fold rise, from 10 in 2015 to 76 now.

In yet another interesting set of data put out in reply to a different question, the home ministry said 437 ceasefire violations were reported this year in J&K until November 30, up from 405 in 2015. Of the 437 violations this year, 221 took place on the international border manned by BSF and 216 along the Line of Control guarded by the Army. The corresponding figures in 2015 were 253 violations on the international border and 152 on the LoC.

The ceasefire violations this year resulted in killing of 12 civilians and injuries to 80 others, apart from leaving 111 houses/structures damaged as on November 7, 2016. While eight Army personnel were killed and 74 injured till November 26 (as against six killed and 17 injured in 2015), the BSF suffered five fatal and 25 non-fatal casualties till November 30 this year.

The ceasefire violations this year temporarily displaced 27,449 people in J&K as they shifted to safer locations following the surgical strikes. Of this, around 6,000 persons were accommodated in relief camps and others stayed with their relatives.

Majority of these people have now returned home and only around 220 families comprising around 700 persons are lodged in three relief camps.