213 militants killed in 2017: J-K govt

The Jammu and Kashmir government today said that 213 militants were killed and 51 civilians died in militancy-related incidents last year.
In a written reply to a question of BJP's Sat Sharma, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti told the Legislative Assembly that 213 militants, including 127 foreign militants and 86 local militants, were killed in 2017 as compared to 150 militants, including 119 foreign militants and 31 local militants, in 2016.
Similarly, 51 civilians died in 2017 and as many as 20 civilians died in 2016 in militancy-related incidents, she said.
The government has taken a number of steps to check cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti said.

The chief minister said that these measures include border-fencing and its electrification, installation of night-vision devices, target-oriented inputs on infiltration, among others.
She said that the border is being manned by security forces who are adequately equipped in terms of manpower and resources.

Meanwhile,in another written reply to a question of Sharma, Mufti told the assembly that 320 weapons, including 213 AK rifles, 101 pistols and revolvers, four RPGs, one each sniper rifle and 303 rifle were recovered in 2017.
As compared to this, 178 AK-47 rifles, 81 pistols and revolvers, 7 RPGs and two each sniper rifle and 303 rifle were recovered in 2016, she said.

Similarly, police recovered 394 explosive devices including 305 grenades, 76 detonators and 13 IEDs in 2017, followed by recovery of 1,358 explosive devices in 2016, which includes 333 grenades, 1,038 detonators, 26 IEDs and one anti-personnel mine, Mufti said.
Besides, a large quantity of ammunition was recovered by the police during the last two years, she said, adding that 8 kg explosives was recovered in 2017 followed by 10 kg in 2016.
She said 46 wireless sets were recovered in 2017 and 54 in 2016.