J&K witnessing improvement in security due to counter-terrorist operations

The terrorists managed to escape taking advantage of thick foliage and darkness but left behind a large number of arms and ammunition, sources said

Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a marked improvement in the security situation over the last couple of months due to sustained counter-terrorist operations and the tightening of anti-infiltration grids, sources said on Friday.

The non-kinetic operations carried out by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and central security agencies have also helped in improving the security situation significantly, they said.

Over the past couple of months, the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir has shown a marked improvement due to the continued counter-terrorist operations and tightening of anti-infiltration grids apart from non-kinetic operations by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and security forces, sources privy to the development said.

However, regular infiltration bids through the Rajouri-Poonch sector in Jammu and North Kashmir areas, especially Kupwara sector, are being made by various terror outfits at the behest of Pakistani agencies.

Two such bids were foiled on Thursday and Friday.

In the first incident in the Rajouri-Poonch sector, a group of two to three terrorists were trying to sneak in from other side. When they came close to the fence on the LoC, the alert troops initiated action forcing them to retreat, sources said.

The terrorists managed to escape taking advantage of thick foliage and darkness but left behind a large number of arms and ammunition, they added.

Another attempt was foiled at Jamagund area of Kupwara sector where the troops had activated their anti-infiltration grid based on some specific inputs about infiltration, sources said.

Early Friday morning, a group of five foreign terrorists tried to infiltrate and they were engaged by the security forces and subsequently neutralised. All of them were reported to be from Pakistan, they said.

A large quantity of arms and ammunition were recovered from the killed terrorists.

Sources said it is heartening to see that the local youth has started seeing through the evil designs of the enemy who has been indulging in large-scale violence, bringing death and destruction in Jammu and Kashmir.

Loss of lives, especially of the youth who take up arms at the behest of the enemy after being mislead by false and fake propaganda, has also come down to a great extent. Recruitment in the terror ranks has dropped to the lowest levels, sources said.

The involvement of local residents in the recently held G20 meetings in Kashmir and the failed attempts by some to incite people against the conduct of such international events have further strengthened the belief of the people in the prevailing peace, they said.

The relative peace in the last couple of years and its dividends in the form of un-interrupted education for children of Jammu and Kashmir residents and developmental activities all over the Union Territory have reposed people's faith in the good governance of the administration, sources said.

The revival and growth of the tourism industry in a big way and a record number of tourist arrivals have also brought economic prosperity to a large section of the local population, they said.