84 infiltration attempts by terrorists in J-K since August: Home Ministry

The Centre on Tuesday informed Lok Sabha that as many as 84 infiltration attempts were made along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and 59 terrorists could have entered the Valley since August 2019.

"Regular attempts for infiltration by terrorists through the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir are sponsored and supported from across the border. Since August 2019, 84 such attempts have been made from across the border and it is estimated that 59 such terrorists could have infiltrated," Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

The MoS Home said that since 1990, as many as 22,557 militants have been neutralized in incidents of terrorist violence by security forces till December 1 this year.

"During the attempts of infiltration from across the border from 2005 till 31st October 2019, 1011 militants have been killed, 42 militants have been apprehended and 2253 militants have been pushed back/returned due to efficient vigil of security forces," he said.

To a question about "if it is a fact that LoC is vulnerable that security forces are not able to keep vigil efficiently", the MoS Home said, "Infiltration attempts are part of proxy war agenda of adversary to replenish the depleted terrorist strength in the valley to achieve its intention to ratchet up violence in Jammu and Kashmir and internationalize the issue."

He stressed that relentless domination operations, ambushes and patrols are being conducted to thwart infiltration attempts and in addition, a robust counter-infiltration grid is in place to foil infiltration attempts.

Centre had in August this year announced the decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. It had also announced simultaneously that the state will be bifurcated into two Union Territories.