40% dip in Kashmiri youth joining militancy: MoS Home

NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that local militant recruitment in Jammu and Kashmir has come down by almost 40%.

Union minister of state for Home G Kishan Reddy told the House that ‘terrorist-initiated incidents (in J&K) have declined by 28%, net infiltration has reduced by 43%, local recruitment has fallen by 40% and neutralisation of terrorists has increased by 22%.”

Security situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved drastically and the cross-border infiltration has reduced by 43% after the surgical strikes on terror camps in Pakistan, MoS for Home Nityanand Rai said in a separate reply in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.


Rai's remarks came in response to a written question on whether cross-border infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir has abated after the the Air Force carried out surgical strikes on terror camps in Balakot in February. “Due to concerted and synergised efforts of forces, the security situation in the state has witnessed an improvement in the first half of this year over the corresponding period in 2018. Infiltration has reduced by 43%,” he said.

The minister said the central government has adopted a policy of zero tolerance towards cross-border infiltration. Rai said the government of India in tandem with the state government has adopted a multi-pronged approach to contain cross-border infiltration. The measures include multi-tiered deployment along the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC), border fencing, improved intelligence and operational coordination, equipping security forces with improved technological weapons and taking pro-active action against infiltrators.

Replying to another question, the minister said the electric fence, the Anti-Infiltration Obstacle System (AIOS), on LoC along Indo-Pak border has proved to be a potent tool to guard against infiltration. The electricity requirements for the AIOS are being catered through power grid wherever available and through generators at other locations to ensure uninterrupted power supply, he said.