Neyaz Elahi
Srinagar (NVI): A total of 16 security forces personnel in Jammu and Kashmir were killed in November, even more than the total number of militants killed, making it the deadliest month for the forces in J&K, this year so far.
The security forces neutralised 12 militants in J&K last month but they also lost a significant number of security personel in different militancy-related incidents. Most of the killings of forces’ personnel took place due to heavy cross-border firing and shelling by Pakistani troops.
As per the data available with NVI, Jammu Kashmir witnessed 34 killings in the month of November. Among these 34 killings, 12 are militants, 6 civilians, 2 BSF personnel, 1 J&K cop and 13 Army soldiers.
To begin with, security forces managed to neutralise Hizbul’s top commander Dr Saifullah in November in a gunfight in Rangreith area of Srinagar outskirts. Apart from that, suspected militants gunned down a blacksmith identified as Muhammad Ayoub in Tral area of Pulwama. A policeman, Ishfaq Ahmed, was found dead in mysterious circumstances in Archindhama, Budgam.
Apart from that, a civilian identified as Abid Ahmed and two militants were killed in Meej Pampore during a gunfight.
Three Army soldiers and a BSF jawan, besides three militants were killed in Machil encounter when security forces foiled an infiltration bid.
Two militants were killed in Kutapora hamlet of South Kashmir’s Shopian in a gunfight.
Four soldiers, a BSF jawan and 4 civilians were killed in Pakistani shelling in different locations of North Kashmir. In the same month, four militants were killed in Nagrota gunfight but the truck driver ferrying militants managed to escape from the spot.
Three soldiers were killed in two different incidents of cross border shelling in Rajouri district of Jammu region. A JCO was killed in the Pakistani firing in Poonch.
In the month of November, the militants, in an audacious attack killed two soldiers– Sepoy Rattan Lal of 163 Territorial Army and Sepoy Deshmukh of 101 Territorial Army in HMT area in Srinagar outskirts.
The slain soldiers were attached to 2nd Unit of Rashtriya Rifles. The militants later on made a purported video of this attack viral on social media.
Notably, in February 2019, 40 CRPF soldiers were killed after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden car in the paramilitary force’s convoy.
-ARK
