Sixty percent of the 75 militants killed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2024 have been identified as Pakistanis, an agency report has revealed, showing a renewed spurt in infiltration. On the other hand, the year has witnessed a sharp decline in local recruitment, with only four youth joining the militant groups.
This year again Rajouri, Poonch, and Doda hogged the headlines for the resurfacing of militancy. The districts have been sites of successive militant attacks which have led to loss of many a security force lives. 2024 also saw militancy returning to Kashmir Valley, with two major attacks taking place in Ganderbal and Gulmarg. Although the situation has normalized over the last few weeks, security agencies can’t afford to let their guard down. More so, considering the changing nature of militancy in the union territory.
Unlike in the past, when the militants largely operated from residential areas, this time they are mainly restricting themselves to hilly areas. In recent years, security forces have achieved complete area domination and intelligence penetration in the urban areas and the countryside, making it increasingly fraught for militants to take shelter in residential areas. But while the strategy has ushered in peace in the otherwise volatile countryside in South Kashmir, militants have moved to forests, where they are turning out to be difficult to track down for the security forces.
This is not to downplay the gains made on the security front in recent years. Militancy has by and large shrunk into insignificance in the Valley. There is no denying the fact that overall militancy has been reigned in. And this is due largely to the reduction in the fresh recruitment of local youth. Similarly ceasefire along the Line of Control has continued, despite the rise in militant attacks.
That said, it is also true that the challenge of militancy remains very much there. Since 2021, the militancy has witnessed a conspicuous rise in Jammu region, where it had been non-existent for almost two decades prior to this. This has led to the killing of dozens of soldiers by the militants. And the fact that many of the militants who carried out these killings are mostly at large and their number remains unknown makes the future uncertain. It is likely that more violence is in store until the security forces track the militants down. The situation could be hoped to change for the better in 2025, with security forces building on the substantive gains made in recent years. The peace in Kashmir is tantalisingly within the grasp but it could also easily slip away.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
