Srinagar, Mar 17: There has been a significant decrease in militancy-related incidents and attempts of infiltration from across the border in Jammu and Kashmir in last three years, government said on Wednesday.

Responding to a query by parliamentarian Harnath Singh Yadav in Rajya Sabha whether it is a fact that incidents of militant attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, infiltration and continued shelling from across the border in bordering areas in the recent past have increased in which large number of security personnel and civilians lost their lives, Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said there were 614 incidents in 2018, 594 in 2019, 244 in 2020 and 15 this year so far till February 28.

He said killings of civilians have come down from 39 in 2018 to 37 in 2020 and deaths of security personnel from 91 in 2018 to 62 in 2020.

However, the minister said, instances of shelling from Pakistan increased from 2,140 in 2018 to 5,133 in 2020.

In a written reply ,the junior minister said that four security personnel were killed in “ceasefire violations” this year.

Regarding the question about the details of steps being taken by Government to improve the safety and security in the sensitive locations of that State and to protect the lives of security forces and common man, Reddy said: “The steps taken include proactive operations to seek and arrest/neutralize the (militants), identification and arrest of over ground workers/supporters of (militancy), action against members of banned organisations, intensified night patrolling and checking at Nakas, security arrangements through appropriate deployment, coordination meetings amongst intelligence agencies, high level of alertness maintained by the security forces and legal action in cases of terror funding etc.”