A day after militants attacked a police bus near Srinagar killing three personnel and injuring 14, the home ministry said the security situation has improved significantly in Jammu and Kashmir and there has been a decline in terrorist incidents since the Abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
Junior minister for home Nityanand Rai was responding to BJP MP Ratan Lal Kataria who had said whether a new chapter of safety, peace and development has begun after repealing of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
The ministry’s data said while 417 terror incidents took place in 2018, only 206 were reported this year till December 5. Last year, the total cases were 244 while 255 incidents were reported in 2019.
According to the data, infiltration has also come down with only 28 intrusions recorded this year till October-end. There were 51 incidents of infiltration reported last year and the number was more than double to 138 and 143 in 2019 and 2018.
“Security grid has been further strengthened and infiltration of terrorists from across the border has also come down significantly,” Rai said.
The opposition, however, is not impressed with the claims of security situation improving in Kashmir. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury slammed the Central government over the “complete failure” of government’s policy on Jammu and Kashmir in view of yesterday’s terror attack on the policemen.
Three policemen, assistant superintendent of police Ghulam Hassan and constables Shafeeq Ali and Rameez Baba, succumbed to injuries sustained in the attack on the bus, which was carrying 25 personnel from 9th Battalion after the end of their duty. The police have said three terrorists – two foreigners and one local — attacked the bus after a conducting a recce.
“This was a planned attack. They must have conducted recce and seen that the bus is coming back every day in routine after getting off duty,” Inspector General (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar said.
After the targeted killings of civilians in October and November, the bus attack in Zewan in Srinagar is a major setback for the security grid in the Valley, and possibly the biggest terror incident against the security convoy after the 2019 Pulwama attack in which a suicide car bomber killed 40 CRPF personnel by ramming their fleet.
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