J&K Violence: 92 Terrorists Killed This Year Until 2 July, Data Shows Infiltration On The Slide

The anti-terrorism forces of the Indian Army has killed as many as 92 militants in Jammu and Kashmir this year until 2 July, the Times of India has reported. This shows a marked increase in the number of terrorists neutralised as only 79 terrorists were killed in the same period of 2016.

Interestingly, the increase in the Army’s success rate is not a result of the increase in the number of terrorists successfully infiltrated by Pakistan. In fact, the daily reports that the number of terrorists that infiltrated into the India side has decreased. In 2016, number of infiltration stood at 371. Contrary to this, until May-end this year, only 124 terrorists have infiltrated into the Indian side.

The number of terrorists killed so far this year has surpassed the year-wise figures for 2012 and 2013 when the Congress was in power at the Centre. In 2012 and 2013, the armed forces neutralised 72 and 67 terrorists respectively. However, the numbers of terrorists killed increased during the Bharatiya Janata Party’s tenure, touching 110 in 2014, 108 in 2015 and 150 in 2016.

According to a senior Home Ministry functionary who was not named by the news report, the increase in number of terrorists neutralised is a result of a free hand given to the Army in counter-insurgency operations by the ruling dispensation.