Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh on Thursday said that the Union territory has achieved a significant milestone in the fight against terrorism this year as it witnessed the lowest number of terror incidents and civilian deaths in over three decades.
Addressing a press conference, DGP Singh said that the security situation has drastically improved in Jammu and Kashmir. "Earlier, the best year in terms of security situation was 2013. There was the lowest level (of militancy) in 2013. However, subsequent years saw an increase in militant activities, with the intent to incite emotions to revive the dying militancy," Singh said.
Pakistan tried to revive militancy
DGP further said that neighbouring Pakistan attempted to revive militancy and succeeded in doing so and managed to entice more people into terrorism. "Pakistan tried to revive the militancy and it succeeded in it. They lured more people into terrorism. The militancy-related incidents and the number of terrorists increased. It was the peak of militancy in 2017," Singh said.
Terror-related cases plummeted from 113 in 2013 to a mere 42 in 2023
J-K police chief expressed satisfaction at the current trajectory and said that the security forces have managed to significantly reduce militant activity and the statistics show a notable decline, with the number of terror-related incidents dropping from 113 in 2013 to just 42 in 2023 so far.
"We brought it down. The graph depicting militant activity now lies below both the level of 2013 and the zenith of 2017. In a remarkable statistical shift, the number of terror-related cases plummeted from 113 in 2013 to a mere 42 in 2023 so far. In 2022, a historical low of 26 law and order incidents was recorded in J-K, and this year (till date), there have been only three such incidents, none of which was linked to terrorism," Singh added.
10 young individuals swayed towards militancy in 2023
He said that when we consider these numbers collectively, they depict a remarkable state of normalcy. Singh said in 2012, the region recorded the lowest count of civilian casualties, with 25, and in 2023, this figure has further decreased to just 12.
Singh mentioned that the security apparatus has been successful in protecting lives. The DGP also praised the police force for its remarkable resilience. "In 2022, 15 officers made the ultimate sacrifice, while this year, only one officer was martyred," he said, adding the year 2012 registered the lowest number of police fatalities at six.
As per Singh, in 2018, there were 210 young individuals who were influenced to join militancy. However, in 2023, this number has dropped significantly to just 10, and six of them have been neutralized,
(With PTI inputs)
