By Vishal Bharti
Jammu, Oct 18 (UNI) Security forces have neutralised 182 terrorists in the past nine months and arrested as many as 41 in various combat operations across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Defence sources sharing details with the UNI here said that in the year 2019, total 152 terrorists were killed but this year from January till first week of October, 182 terrorists of different ‘tanzeems’ (outfits) including that of Pakistan originated Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba, have been eliminated.
They said, “Despite commitments towards fighting COVID-19, Indian Army has ensured that terrorists remain on the run for their life and their numbers as well as leadership remains at the lowest ebb.”
“As a part of this commitment, as many as 182 terrorists have been eliminated in the past nine months in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and 41 have been apprehended and in 2019, 43 were nabbed,” sources said.
They further added that three terrorists had surrendered so far while 93 locally recruited terrorists have either been killed or arrested. In 2019, this figure was 120, they added.
“As far as infiltration attempts are concerned, this year in nine months, total nine bids were made out of which four were in North of Pir Panjal and five were in the South of Pir Panjal,” they added.
Moreover, sources said that as many as 250 to 260 terrorists were waiting at the launch pads to infiltrate from South of Pir Panchal and around 350 from the North of Pir Panjal into the Indian Territory, adding, "last year, the figure was between 325 to 350 in North and 195 to 205 in the South side."
They said that assessed terrorists (active and dormant) in 2020 in North of Pir Panjal was 223 and the figure in 2019 was 351 whereas in South side, there were total 69 and 70 in 2019.
On casualties in paramilitary forces, sources said that this year, 31 was martyred but last year, the figure was 58 and the injured were 48 as compared to last year with 68 injuries.
Sources also claimed that 12 improvised explosive devices have also been seized from different parts of the UT and in 2019, total 36 were found out of which, 15 were exploded.
Meanwhile, they said that total 101 terrorist initiated incidents took place this year and last year, total number of incidents were 141.
Defence sources also said that alone in the month of September this year, 17 terrorists were killed, 14 arrested, two surrendered, hideouts busted were 12 and over ground workers arrested was 108.
They said that Pakistan had also violated the ceasefire for 486 times including 40 in the jurisdiction of 15 Corps and 446 in the 16 Corps.
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