Picture: Abid Bhat

Srinagar: There has been a 6 percent increase in the militancy related incidents in the Jammu and Kashmir,” the Government of India (GOI) revealed.

In a written reply to a question, Minister for State in the ministry of home affairs, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, told the Rajya Sabha;

“The increase in terrorism-related incidents from 322 in 2016-17 has reached to  342 in the year 2017-18 and 256 (till July 18, 2018) and indicate that terrorist attacks and infiltration in J&K continue unabated years after the terror funding is being probed by the NIA”.

The data provided by the home ministry further revealed that there has been steady increase in the number of the militant attacks in the state Jammu and Kashmir and the increase in the civilian causalities in Jammu and Kashmir as well.

Similarly the report suggests that the number of militants killed by government forces increased 41% 150 in 2016-17 to 213 in 2017-18 and 100 till 18th July 2018.

The number of government forces personnel killed in ‘terrorist violence’ has declined 1.6% from 82 in 2016-17 to 80 in 2017-18 and 43 till 18th of July 2018, according to data issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The number of civilian casualties from “terrorist-related violence” increased almost three times from 15 in 2016-17 to 40 in 2017-18 and 16 till 18th of July this year.

Replying to a question, whether there has been involvement of youths from other states of the country in the stone pelting, the GoI replied that as per report two youths from other states of the country have been found involved in the stone pelting cases in J&K till date and two FIR’s have been registered in 2018 against both of them.