25 Terrorists, 14 Security Forces Personnel Among 46 Killed In Jammu This Year As Pakistan Tries To Revive Terrorism In Region

Forty-six people, including 14 security personnel and 25 terrorists, were killed in three districts of Jammu this year.

According to the officials, the surge in violence is due to “desperate attempts from across the border” to revive terrorism in the region.

Those killed included three Army officers, among them two captains, who lost their lives during an ongoing anti-terrorism operation in the Bajimaal region of the Rajouri district.

Two earlier ambushes in Mendhar area of Poonch and Kandi forest of Rajouri on 20 April and 5 May, respectively had claimed the lives of 10 soldiers, including five commandos.

Officials have reported that since January of this year, there have been 46 deaths due to terrorism-related violence in the neighbouring border districts of Rajouri, Poonch, and the nearby Reasi district.

This year in Rajouri, a total of 23 individuals, including seven terrorists and nine security personnel, were killed.

Meanwhile, in the Poonch district, 15 terrorists and five security personnel have been killed. Additionally, three terrorists were eliminated in the Reasi district.

The majority of the terrorists were killed in their attempts to infiltrate into Indian side of the border, according to officials cited in an Indian Express report.

The latest encounter in Rajouri came days after another gunfight in Behrote in the Budhal region, on 17 November, which resulted in the death of one terrorist.

Officials attributed the surge in confrontations to extensive anti-terrorist initiatives undertaken by security agencies. These efforts aimed to thwart consistent attempts from foreign entities to revive terrorism in the Jammu region and to alleviate pressure on the terrorists active in the Kashmir Valley.

This year, terrorism-related violence in Jammu and Kashmir has resulted in the death of 120 individuals. This figure comprises 81 terrorists, 26 security personnel.

The dead includes an Army colonel and a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) who lost their lives in a week-long operation in the Anantnag district of south Kashmir.