Foreign Militants Outnumber Local Elements In J&K, Alarming Security Dynamics

In Jammu and Kashmir, more foreign terrorists were killed than local terrorists for the first time. 50 of the 72 attackers killed by security forces in 2023 were from outside of the United States, officials said on Monday.

Central agencies say that 91 militants, 61 of whom are foreigners, are still active in J&K, including the Rajouri-Poonch region. This is still a problem for the security forces, according to officials quoting government data.

They said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is going to look at J&K’s overall security situation, including the latest attack on Army personnel in the Rajouri-Poonch region. In 2022, the security forces killed 187 attackers. Of those, 57 were from outside the country, mostly Pakistan.

A top official said, “There has been a sharp drop in the number of incidents in the Valley compared to previous years.” The Rajouri-Poonch region in Jammu is a new challenge for the security forces, the official added.

Seven people were killed and 12 others were hurt in terror attacks in Rajouri on January 1 and 2. In April, five Army troops were killed in Poonch by an IED. The killings were claimed by the People’s Anti-Fascist Front, which is linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad. Five troops were killed and one was hurt in a gunfight with militants in the Rajouri-Poonch jungles in May. The fight happened during a combing operation.

Five troops, two of whom were Army captains, were killed in Rajouri over the course of two days in November during an operation against terrorists. Terrorists killed four Army members and allegedly cut up the bodies of at least two others in December. But when security troops fought back, three civilians were killed and others were hurt. Along with local cops, national and state agencies have stepped up their anti-terror efforts across J&K to destroy the terror networks.