The union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed an increase in the number of civilian deaths due to terror activities this year, with the toll reaching 40 till November 15, data shared by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in Parliament revealed on November 30.
Another 72 civilians have sustained injuries in terror attacks till November 15 this year, News18 reported.
The last time Jammu and Kashmir reported 40 civilian deaths due to terror activities was in 2017. Since then, the number has remained less, with 39 civilian deaths being reported in the year 2018 and 2019 and 37 in the year 2020.
As per the details given by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, 35 security force personnel, including that of Jammu and Kashmir Police, have been martyred this year while another 86 have been injured.
Explaining the steps taken by the government and the security forces to ensure the safety of civilians, the MHA said in Parliament: “Security forces take utmost care and exercise restraint during anti-terror/Naxal operations to ensure that no common man is hurt. The measures taken by the Government to protect the common man from the terrorist attacks include proactive operations against terrorists, identification and arrest of over ground workers/supporters of terrorism, action against members of banned organizations, intensified night patrolling and checking at nakas, security arrangements through appropriate deployment, coordination meetings amongst security agencies, high level of alertness maintained by the security forces, legal action in cases of terror funding.”
A day ago, sources in the security establishment had told news agency PTI that almost all the terrorists involved in the killings of civilians in Jammu and Kashmir in November were neutralised.
Over the last three years, the union territory has seen 1,033 terrorist attacks, with the highest being reported in 2019 at 594. This year, 196 such incidents have been reported till November 15.
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