Violent 2018: 114 killed in J&K in 4 months

At least 114 people, including 53 militants, 34 civilians and 27 security personnel, have lost their lives in militancy-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in the first four months of 2018.

According to official statistics, the highest number of causalities was recorded in April.

Nineteen militants, 17 civilians, four army men and a policeman were killed in the violence in April. The slain civilians include some workers of various mainstream parties.

Twenty people were killed on April 1 in three separate encounters in south Kashmir. The dead include 13 militants, four civilians and four army men, the highest single-day casualty in the Valley in recent years.

In March, out of 29 people who were killed, 17 were militants, five civilians, four policemen and three army men.

In February, security forces suffered more causalities than militants as out of 23 persons killed, five were policemen and six army personnel. Seven militants and five civilians also died in the month.

February witnessed a deadly fidayeen (suicide) attack on a military station in Sunjawan, Jammu, in which six army men, a civilian and three militants were killed. The gunfight lasted for nearly three days.

In January, out of 21 persons who were killed, 10 were militants, seven civilians and four policemen, the figures reveal.

Most of the civilians killed this year died when security forces fired on protesters near encounter sites while some were killed by militants.

Last year, nearly 220 militants, 75 security personnel and about 50 civilians were killed in militancy-related incident across Kashmir. With the spike in violence and this being the beginning of summer, there is an apprehension of more killings and violence this year.

“We have inputs that militants may step up attacks on forces and civilians in the coming months as infiltration routes have also opened after the melting of snow. But security forces are prepared to take the challenge,” a senior police officer, involved in counter-insurgency operations, told DH.

Recently, former state police chief Kuldeep Khoda said there will be more violence in 2018 when compared to last year.

“The year 2018 is bound to be worse than 2017, where casualty of security forces is likely to cross 100,” Khoda, who served as DGP between 2007 and 2012, told reporters in Delhi during an event.