As crackdown against terror continues in J&K, terrorist killings down by 78% in 2023

The continuous offensive against the terrorist networks in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the Centre’s ‘zero terror agenda’ is coming to fruition. According to the figures collated by one of the security agencies and accessed by news agency ANI, the number of terrorists neutralised in the first six months of 2023 has come down by about 78 per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2022.

A total of 27 terrorists were killed in various anti-terror operations in the first six months of 2023 as compared to 125 in the January 1–July 5 period in 2022, the statistics compiled. In terms of the breakup of the number of local terrorists (LTs) and foreign terrorists (FTs), the number of LTs killed were 91 and 34 FTs were neutralised between January to June 2022. 

Reduction in killing of LTs, FTs

In the first six months of 2023, in over two dozen operations the number of killings of LTs and FTs compared to the similar period in 2022, has reduced by 91 per cent and 44 per cent respectively. These terrorists belong mostly to Pakistan-backed outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), its offshoot The Resistance Front, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen, indicates the data. 

The fierce crackdown by the Indian security forces, since the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A, on the various terror networks, have resulted in a marked decrease in the terror activities and infiltration of terrorists.  

Considering the current data trend, the number of terrorists neutralised in 2023 might end up to be the lowest ever. A total of 187 terrorists were killed and 111 counter-terror operations were carried out in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022 while 180 terrorists were killed and 95 counter-terror operations were carried out in Jammu and Kashmir in 2021. 

According to the budget for the next financial year for Jammu and Kashmir, which has gone up by ₹5550 crore, the security related expenditure in the state was pegged at ₹  1,197 crore. The budget for fiscal 2022-23 was ₹1,12,950 crore.