The surge in terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir that has claimed lives of about 15 soldiers in the past four months is causing concern among the political and defence analysts in the state.
These soldiers were martyred in counter-insurgency operations. Besides, 20 soldiers lost their lives due to avalanches in the Kashmir valley. The troops succeeded in eliminating more than 22 terrorists in encounters.
Kulgam, Bandipora, Pulwama and Shopian in the valley have emerged as hotspots following the killing of a local Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani in South Kashmir on July 8, 2016.
The new phenomenon of local villagers pelting stones at the troops during encounters with terrorists was also a matter of concern. There were reports of at least 26 terrorists having escaped in the past few months when the local villagers diverted attention of the army personnel by pelting stones at them during encounters. Three terrorists managed to escape in the Hajin village when local men, women and children surrounded the encounter site and started pelting stones at the soldiers.
Clamping restrictions on movement of civilians in an area of 3 km around the encounter site in the Kashmir valley has not deterred the miscreants.
Army Chief Bipin Rawat had recently warned of tough action against those who tried to interfere in the counter-insurgency operations. The incidents of stone pelting have failed to provoke the troops and security forces who have maintained restrain.
According to official figures, 59 local Kashmiri youth joined various terrorist outfits during the past seven months and more than 60 sophisticated guns and other weapons were snatched from police personnel and looted from police stations during the same period.
The army and security forces resumed counter-insurgency operations in January as these remained virtually suspended for nearly five months since July when there was widespread violence in the valley.
The army and security forces were also concentrating on crushing the networks of overground workers (OWGs), who were undertaking the task of providing logistics to terrorists and passing to them information about soft targets. One such group of OWGs was last week cracked down in north Kashmir and arms and ammunition recovered from them.