Rise in number of militants killed this year in Kashmir, 15 of them from Pakistan: report

There has been a jump in the number of militants killed in the Kashmir valley in the first four months of 2022 compared to the same period last year, according to the police data.

Figures available with the Jammu and Kashmir Police show that while 62 militants have been killed in the Valley since the beginning of the year; 37 were killed in the first four months of 2021, according to a report by the Indian Express.

15 of the 62 militants killed this year have been identified as ‘foreign’ militants from Pakistan, the report said. The Indian Express report goes on to add that no foreign militant was killed in the first four months of 2021. The total number of foreign militants killed in Kashmir in the entire year was just 20 with a total 168 militants killed in 2021.

The report quoted Inspector General of Kashmir Vijay Kumar as saying that the recent success in encounters is a result of both good human intelligence and technical intelligence and focused operations. He added that of the 62 terrorists killed this year, 32 were killed within just three months of joining militancy.

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There has also been an increase in operations conducted by the army after a surge in attacks against migrants and minorities in Kashmir over the last 2 months. The period also an increase in attacks on posts of security forces.