Fewer Civilians Killed, but Terrorist Violence up in J&K

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NEW DELHI: Terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir this year has surpassed the levels recorded in 2014, with 169 incidents and 35 security personnel killed until October 25 as compared to 167 incidents and 30 force casualties in the corresponding period last year.
Though 86 terrorists were neutralized till October 25 against 83 in the same period of 2014 and the civilian casualties caused while maintaining law and order stagnated at four, the number of civilian killings by the militants fell to 16 from 20 last year.
Fewer civilians killed, but terrorist violence up in J&K
The latest statistics mark a year-on-year increase in most terror indices related to J&K. In fact, at 169 incidents until October 25, the figure of 170 incidents recorded in the whole of 2014 is set to be surpassed soon.
Nevertheless, incidents have shown a steady decline from the high of 488 recorded in 2010, followed by 340 in 2011 and 220 in 2012. The security forces killed in terrorism-related incidents is lower than 2013 but higher than the 2011 and 2012 figure.
Terrorists, wary of losing ground support, are going after security forces more than civilians. Civilian killings have fallen from 28 in 2014, though they exceeded the levels (15 fatal casualties) seen in 2012 and 2013.
The security forces are not taking the higher casualties lying down and are retaliating in equal measure to terrorist attacks. As many as 86 terrorists were killed until October 25, as compared to 67 in 2013 and 72 in 2012. It remains to be seen if the 2015 figure of terrorist killings will surpass the 2014 mark of 110.
According to home ministry sources, around 200-220 terrorists/militants, both local and foreign, are estimated to be holed up in the Valley. Though they possess arms, not many are actively engaging security forces in encounters.
"This could be due to their poor and inadequate training. Earlier, militants could exfiltrate and train at camps in Azad Kashmir but the heightened vigil by Indian forces at the border has made this a difficult proposition... not many local recruits are well-versed in the use of arms, which has made them less of a worry to the security agencies," a senior officer in the security establishment told TOI.
Sources said much of the local recruitment was taking place in Tral and Pulwama. "Many of the new recruits are unable to adapt to the hard life of a militant that involves living in the jungles... they are not as committed or hardened and there have been some cases of these terrorists wanting to return to their families," the officer said.
source- Fewer civilians killed, but terrorist violence up in J&K - The Economic Times