Ground Report | New Delhi: Militants killed in Jammu-Kashmir in 2021; Police have killed 182 militants, including 44 top militants, in 100 successful operations in Jammu and Kashmir in 2021, DGP Dilbag Singh said on Friday. He said infiltration has come down this year and only 34 militants have managed to cross the border.
In Jammu and Kashmir, 497 people have been booked under UAPA. Singh also said that 9 JeM militants involved in the attack on the police bus in Pantha Chowk have been eliminated in the last 24 hours. Talking about youth joining terror ranks, he said, “134 youths joined terror ranks in J&K in 2012 and out of them 72 were killed, 22 were arrested,” he said. said.
On Hyderpora operation, Singh said, “We have made it clear that the operation was transparent. We feel hurt by the statements.” On 15 November, a Pakistani terrorist and three others were killed in Hyderpora and the police claimed that all those killed had links to militancy. The families of the three had alleged dishonesty, saying they were innocent, prompting the police to order an inquiry. (Militants killed in Jammu-Kashmir in 2021)
However, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Range, Vijay Kumar said the burial of senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani was the major achievement of the year as it remained peaceful. “There was no law and order incident and the burial was peaceful. That’s why I count this as one of the major achievements of the police for the year 2021,” the IGP said.
He said that by the year 2022, hybrid terrorism will remain the biggest challenge for the police. “After examining various CCTV footages, it was observed that young boys aged 17 years attack policemen and security forces. These boys are not classified anywhere nor do we have their pictures in police stations,” the IGP said.
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He said some political leaders questioned the term hybrid terrorist but the fact remains that “the police coined the term in January 2021.” IGP Kashmir said that the second big challenge will be to stop the policemen from becoming soft targets. “Terrorists attacked unarmed policemen. Some were killed while coming out of mosques, some while going to markets, and some while sleeping,” he said, adding that the police would work to prevent such attacks in 2022.
He said that at present 168 terrorists are active in Kashmir and the number of local and foreign terrorists is almost equal. “We have made a list of 25 hybrid militants, who have not been classified,” the IGP said. He said that in the year 2021, 171 terrorists were killed and almost the same number of pistols were recovered. “Five US-made M-4 carbine guns have also been recovered from the slain Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists,” the IGP said. He said almost all the top commanders were killed and now only four are active in the Valley.
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Earlier, the top Army Commander of the Valley, Lt Gen DP Pandey had said that the number of militants has gone up to 180. I think we have been able to cross that mark of 200 this year, the number has come down to 180, which is something very different,” said Lt Gen Pandey, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 15 Corps based in Srinagar. “We still have about two days to go. Let’s hope the number is brought down further.”
Incidentally, in a report released in 2013, the police put the total number of militants operating in Kashmir at 78 – the lowest since the outbreak of militancy. Less than 35 of them were reported to be local militants.
Police records also show that the number of militants in the Valley hovered around the 100-mark from 2010 to 2015, before stone-pelting incidents and action by security forces attracted Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, who sought to reach out to them. Used social media for The number of militants also increased after Wani was killed in an encounter.
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