New Delhi: A total of 16 soldiers and security personnel were killed in militant attacks in Jammu and Kashmir this year till June, the government said on Wednesday.
Last year, a total of 62 security personnel had lost their lives, while in 2019, 80 security men were killed, Minister of State for Defence, Ajay Bhatt, said in a written reply to Rahul Kaswan in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The minister said that militants carry out violent actions to destabilise the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The security forces are combating militant activities along the Line of Control by eliminating the infiltration bids and by carrying out counter militant operations and responding to militant initiated incidents, the minister said.
The Army carries out periodical review and refinement of the operating procedures and security arrangements of all its camps, garrisons and installations, based on threat assessment and analysis of past incidents.
Based on these reviews, suitable drills and procedures are adopted to counter such threats, Bhatt informed the House.
The government is ensuring appraisal and upgradation of intelligence gathering capabilities, provision of suitable weapons and equipment to soldiers, while drills to counter terrorist actions are being refined, he said.
The minister said in his reply that the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir is dynamic and ever-evolving. Though fragile, the security environment has witnessed significant improvement in the past two years and steps are being taken in all domains to effect irreversible damages on militant organizations and eliminate the scourge of militancy, he said.
However, laying down a time limit for elimination of the last militant may not be feasible as Pakistan continues to provide ideological, diplomatic and financial support to the proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir by infiltrating militants into the Valley and smuggling weapons, ammunition and narcotics across the Line of Control, including use of drones and other measures, the minister said. (IANS)