New Delhi (NVI): 157 militants were killed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, while 25 were terminated this year, Minister of State (MoS) for Defence, Shripad Naik said today.
“157 militants were neutralised in the year 2019 in Jammu & Kashmir. There have been 138 cases of infiltration by militants along Line of Control and International Border,” Naik said in Rajya Sabha.
In 2020, 36 persons including 25 militants were killed in the first two months, he said.
Besides 25 militants, a policeman, 4 army soldiers, a CRPF man and 2 army porters and three civilians were also killed, he added.
The first two months of 2020 witnessed 15 gunfights between militants and the security forces. Two army porters were killed in Kasalian Pooch in Pakistan shelling in the month of January.
A civilian identified as Ghulam Nabi Mir was killed in February after militants fired upon him at Tral Payeen.
Another 62-year-old civilian was killed after Pakistan Army fired at forward posts in Shahpur and Kerni areas along LoC in Poonch district.
Encounters took place in Khari Taharat forest area of Rajouri, Charsoo Awantipora, Gulshanpora Tral, Behrampora area of Central Kashmir’s Chadoora town, Doda, Wachi Shopian, Zantral Khrew, Hari Pari Awantipora, Arwani Bijbehara, Nagrota Jammu, Lawaypora Srinagar, Kuchlaman Tral and Sangam Anantnag.
Soldiers who were killed in different gunfights were identified as Naik Sawant Sandip Raghunath of Maharashtra and Rifleman Arjun Thapa Magar of Nepal, soldier Rahul Rainswal and SOG man Shahbaz Chowdary of Manjkot Rajouri and CRPF trooper Ramesh Ranjan.
Some of the slain militants included Shahid Dar, a resident of Arwani Bijebehara, Hamad Khan of Seer Jagir, Faizan Hamid from Mandora and Adil Bashir from Monghama Tral,Adil Ahmed of Chadoora, Harun Hafiz of Doda,Wasim Ahmed of Nagabal, Adil Ahmed of Zainpora and Hadayatullah of Shadipora Shopian, Qari Yasir, Burhan from Tral, Shahid Ahmed Ahangar of Qaimoh Kulgam, Zia-ur-Rehman of Arth Budgam and Khateeb of Wagam Bijbehara, Rayees Ahmed Dar from Gulistan Tral, Jahangir Rafiq Wani of Amirabad Tral, Raja Umar Maqbool of Lurgam Tral and Sadat Ahmed Thokar of Wagam Bijbehara, Naveed Ahmed Bhat and Aqib Bhat both residents of Qoimoh Kulgam.
However, the number of militants killed in 2019 is down as compared to the previous year. In 2018, the security forces had neutralised a total of 254 insurgents in the Valley.
