'Militants striking on soft targets due to pressure from

The Jammu and Kashmir government today told the Assembly that militants were striking on soft targets because of continuing pressure from security forces.
"Due to continuing pressure of security forces and police, militants are now indulging in attacks on soft targets and at crowded places for revival of the waning militancy in the state," Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh said in the Legislative Assembly here.
He said 14 militancy-related incidents have occurred in the state in June, the significant ones being at Bijbehara on June 3, Anantnag on June 4 and Pampore on June 25.
"The security forces and police exercised maximum restraint to prevent killing of civilians and collateral damage despite provocation and instead, suffered the losses themselves," said Singh.

The Deputy Chief Minister said it needs to be appreciated that the security forces have been exhibiting "utmost professionalism" and "maximum restraint" while handling the law and order situation, particularly the stone-pelting incidents, during and after their engagements with militants.
"Due to active engagement of security forces or police with the militants, 2016 has registered an increase in number of militants killed by over 110 per cent, arrest of militants or suspects by 48 per cent and a drop in the number of civilians killed by 11 per cent as compared to the corresponding period in 2015," he added.

Singh said "our security forces and police are on high alert and all required measures have been taken to pre-empt and thwart any such attack in the future".

The state government condemns the militant attacks in unequivocal terms through the House and conveys its sympathies and condolences to the families of civilians and security forces or police personnel who lost their lives in these incidents, he added.
"We reiterate that violence is going to yield nothing except bringing large scale devastation and miseries to the people and hurting the initiatives of the government towards the socio-economic development of the state.
"Therefore, cooperation of people is imperative in carrying forward the agenda of peace and development in the state," said Singh.