Militancy-related incidents in Jammu Kashmir have witnessed a sharp dip since the commencement of annual Hindu pilgrimage Amarnath Yatra. The Yatra started on June 30 and this 45 days pilgrimage will culminate on 11 August next month.
For the past 27 days, 4 gunfights raged between militants and joint forces, however, in two encounters, forces called off the operations without any success.
The data available with the news agency Kashmir News Trust reveals that 3 militants, a soldier, a trooper and a policeman have been killed in Kashmir Valley since the beginning of the Shri Amarnath pilgrimage.
A soldier and an infiltrator were killed in Tanghdar Sector of Kupwara on 8 July while on 11 July two militants including Kaisar Rashid Koka of Tengpora Keigam and Ishfaq Nabi Lone of Lelhar Pulwama were killed in South Kashmir’s Wandakpora Awantipora encounter.
In one of the encounters during the ongoing Yatra, two newly recruited local militants Kafeel Javaid Mir of Mirpora Qaimoh and Nadeem Abbas Bhat of Reshipora Qaimoh surrendered before the joint forces during an encounter at Hadigam Kulgam on July 6.
Official sources said that due to unprecedented security arrangements, the movement of militants has been significantly restricted, however, on 12 July militants attacked a police party in Lal Bazar area of Srinagar killing ASI Mushtaq Ahmed of Soch village of Kulgam and injuring two other cops. Besides, militants attacked a check post in Gangoo Pulwama on 17 July killing a CRPF Inspector Vinod Kumar (182 Battalion) of Farukabad UP.
Four days after the commencement of Shri Amarnath Yatra, militants shot at a cop Firdous Ahmed who was injured in the attack at Hugam Sri Gufwara area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
During the ongoing Yatra, the data shows that joint forces neutralized 3 militants including an infiltrator while in January this year 21 militants were killed followed by 7 militants in February, 13 in March, 24 in April, 27 in May and 33 militants in June.
The data available with KNT also reveals that no civilian lost his life in the militancy-related incidents during the ongoing Shri Amarnath Yatra. (KNT)