56 Pakistanis among 186 terrorists killed in JK in 2022: DGP

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday said 56 Pakistani nationals were among 186 terrorists killed in the Union territory in 2022 and sounded a note of caution over online terrorism propagated by the neighbouring country, including the spread of fake news.

In Jammu, police chief Dilbag Singh told reporters that a total of 186 terrorists were killed and 159 arrested in 2022 which proved to be the "most successful" in recent years. He added that security agencies were moving in the right direction to achieve "zero terror" activities in J-K.

Singh, during his year-end presser, also said that effective policing has helped in neutralising as many as 146 terror modules that had been tasked to carry out selective and targeted killings, besides grenade or Improvised Explosive Device attacks.

He said this year, around 100 youngsters joined the terror ranks in the Union territory, the lowest in many years, of which 63 were killed in encounters and 17 more arrested. "The remaining are still at large, and efforts were on to nab or deradicalise them," Singh added.

At the same time, Additional Director General of Police Vijay Kumar, who heads the Kashmir range, gave out similar figures but added that 2022 saw the emergence of a new challenge for security agencies – Pakistan-sponsored online terrorism.

"Pakistan-sponsored online terrorism is a challenge now like spreading fake news or propaganda and targeting journalists or civilians through Pak-based news agency KMS, Telegram channels, and online portal (Kashmirfight). All law enforcement agencies are jointly working to counter it," Kumar said in a series of tweets.

Dilbag Singh said the casualties suffered by police and the Central Armed Paramilitary Forces also recorded a dip in 2022, with 14 policemen and 17 CAPF personnel losing their lives in terror attacks.

He said civilian casualties also came down during the year and just 24 minor law and order incidents were reported. Efforts are on to ensure that this number drops to zero, he added.

The police chief said conspiracies to disturb peace are continuing from across the border but "we have been successful in ensuring that the local youth are not misled into the path of violence".

He said police and other security agencies made strenuous efforts to bring back misguided youngsters and reunite them with their families.

Withholding the number of such youngsters who were brought back to the mainstream, Singh said they were motivated by Pakistan and its sponsored elements, but they were de-radicalised. This is a major achievement for the forces this year, he said.

"Our mission is to move towards achieving zero terror activities and for that, we have to dismantle the terror ecosystem, which is keeping the terrorism alive, and we are doing that," Singh added.

On similar lines, Kumar said in Srinagar that more than two dozen boys have been brought back to the mainstream with the cooperation of their parents, and they are living happily with their families.

Highlighting the sporting activities taking place, the police chief expressed satisfaction over the start of night cricket tournaments in Bandipora, Ganderbal and Srinagar, including the downtown city.

"Such activities (night cricket) were not seen earlier. It happened because the trust and faith of the people in the official machinery has increased manifold in the recent years….I am sure terrorism will be finished soon," Singh said.

He said new trends have been observed in the past one year wherein Pakistan-based handlers and agencies set up small groups of modules and assigned them the task of selective and targeted killings and hurling of grenades.

"We have busted 146 such modules consisting of four to five members. Barring one such module, the rest were neutralised," Singh added.

The DGP said security forces recovered 188 AK assault rifles, 275 pistols, 354 grenades, and 61 Improvised Explosive Devices, some of which were ready-to-use and dropped by drones from across the International Border to trigger explosions at public places in Jammu city and elsewhere.

"These IEDs were recovered before they reached their delivery point. Unfortunately, incidents of explosions at a vegetable market and two empty buses occurred in Udhampur district, but those behind the incidents were arrested," he said.

In Srinagar, Kumar said the police achieved "100 per cent success" in ensuring peace and stability in the Valley in 2022, and all but two chiefs and top commanders of terror outfits have been neutralised.

"There were no hartals, street violence, internet shutdown, funeral processions of terrorists, glamorising of terrorists and stone pelting incidents, especially at encounter sites, and this benefitted all sections of society," he said.

"On L&O (law and order) front, we have achieved 100% success in peace & stability. From 2897 cases of L&O incidents in 2016 to 26 minor cases in 2022. No civilian lost life in firing while handling L&O problems in the last more than 3 years," the ADGP tweeted.

He said the security forces made major gains on the anti-terrorist operations front this year. "All Chiefs & Top Commanders of terror outfits neutralised except HM's Chief Farooq Nalli & LeT Commander Reyaz Sethri and both would be neutralised soon," Kumar said in another tweet.

The process of identifying and taking cognisance of each threat by registering FIRs and making arrests is going on. Properties were attached in 49 terror-related cases this year, he said.