Major improvement in J-K security scene post Aug 2019: Top Army commander

Asserting that the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir has seen a “tremendous improvement and stabilisation” since August 2019, a top Army commander said the Union territory is regaining its past glory and peace through sacrifices of the security forces and people.

He said security forces have eliminated 180 terrorists in 2021 and arrested 495 overground workers (OGWs), thereby giving a telling blow to the terror network in Jammu and Kashmir.

“As a result of extraordinary synergy, security forces and other organisations of the government, the situation in the hinterland of Jammu and Kashmir has seen a tremendous improvement and stabilisation since August 2019. There has been a considerable improvement in all the parameters of terrorism and violence,” General Officer Commanding in Chief (GoC-In-C), Northern Command, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi said in an interview to PTI in Udhampur.

Giving further details about the ground situation in J and K, Lt Gen Dwivedi said the (terror) recruitment has declined by 31 percent -- from 192 in 2020 it has come down to 148 in 2021.

“Terrorist-initiated incidents have gone down by 14 percent -- from 137 in 2020 to 119 in 2021. The agitational dynamics has also declined,” he said.

As a result of synchronised intelligence network and support from the people, security forces have eliminated 180 terrorists in 2021, of which 18 were foreign elements, the Army commander said.

These slain terrorists belonged to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Al-Badr and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH) outfits, he said.

“In the four months of 2022, 66 terrorists have been eliminated, including 17 foreign elements,” Lt Gen Dwivedi said, adding efforts towards dismantling of the OGW network and exposing their machinations has resulted in the arrest of 495 OGWs in 2021 and 87 OGWs in the first four months of 2022.

 “A telling blow has been dealt to the terror network in J-K,” he said.

The Army commander maintained that all “these successes” are reflections of higher standards of professionalism and jointness in all the domains and dimensions of counter-terrorist operations.

“I see J-K regaining its past glory and sustaining the hard-earned peace through sacrifices of the security forces and awam (people),” he said.

Lt Gen Dwivedi said the narrative in the Kashmir region has changed since August 2019.

“And in this change, the civil administration, the security forces and the leaders in the society have all joined hands together. The intensity of operations will continue to be high till all of the residual 168 plus terrorists surrender or they are eliminated,” he said.

The Centre had ended the special status of the Jammu and Kashmir state on August 5, 2019, and downgraded it to a Union territory.

The Army commander said that the overall situation is progressively improving due to the proactive Rashtriya Rifles-gridded deployment leading to a positive and conducive environment for accelerating the developing initiatives of the government.

 “Dividends of peace have started reaching the people and they are further getting motivated to preserve and sustain the peace,” he said.