>80% decline in local terrorist recruitment
> Stone pelting, hartals have come to zero
> In Rajouri-Poonch, foreign terrorists getting support
>8000 fake social media handles identified
Jammu: J&K DGP R.R. Swain said on Saturday that 76 terrorists, including 55 foreigners, have been killed in the UT in 2023.
Addressing a media conference here, the DGP said, “As many as 76 terrorists, including 55 foreign terrorists, were killed in 42 operations om 2023. Also, 291 overground workers (OGWs) working for the terrorists were arrested while 89 terror modules were busted.
“We are passing through a very historical phase. The number of youth joining terror ranks has decreased. There has been 80 per cent decline in recruitment of youth in terrorist ranks, from 113 in 2022 to 22 in 2023. Civilian killings by terrorists too have decreased, from 31 in 2022 to 14 in 2023.
“There has been 60 per cent decline in terror related crimes from 125 in 2022 to 46 in 2023. The frequency of terror related incidents has also decreased.”
The DGP also said that during 2023, there have been no ‘Hartals’ called by the separatist.
These were previously mostly amplified through social media, but now there is no impact of such propaganda, he said.
People have stopped responding to these calls as the common man is moving towards peace and order, the DGP added.
“No civilian life was lost in 2023 in maintaining law and order. In 2022, 24 policemen were martyred while in 2023, four policemen were martyred. Though statistics do not underline the real picture, it gives some rough idea about the situation on the ground.
“A total of 99 properties of separatists and terrorists worth Rs 170 crore were attached and bank accounts frozen in 2023. Two terror outfits, JK Democratic Freedom Party of Shabir Shah and JK Muslim League of MasaratAlam were banned under the UAPA this year,” the DGP said.
He added that terrorist and separatist network is coupled with narco terror. In 2023, 10.29 crore worth drug money was seized. The DGP said that the war against the narrative of distorting information and the misuse of freedom of expression to incite, glorify and encourage terror has carried forward.
The DGP said that the local terrorist recruitment is also very low. “In 2022, 130 youth joined terrorism and only 20 joined terrorism in 2023. There is 80 per cent decline in overall terrorist recruitment,” he said. “We believe recruitment leads to a fall-out and hence to a cycle of violence.”
The police chief said that in 2024, police will act as a protective machine. As far as the civilian killings, in 2022, 31 civilians were killed in terrorist initiated incidents and in 2023, only 14 civilians were killed in such incidents.
“The frequency of such incidents has decreased considerably,” he said. “Earlier, there used to be such incidents after every three days, which have been reduced to 10 days now.” The DGP said that in 2023, 76 terrorists were killed including 55 foreigners in J&K.
Hartal calls, organised bandh calls and organised stone pelting have come to zero. “A fact remains that a common has stopped to endorse the hartal calls now,” the DGP said.
On the killing of security forces in terrorism related incidents, DGP Swain said in 2023, four policemen including a DySP, Inspector and two head constables were killed.
“In such incidents, there has been a 71 per cent decline,” he said. “The fight is on and we are ready to face harm at times like any other force in the country.” He said the killing of security forces personnel including police in law and order has been zero in 2023.
With overall improvement in the security situation, year 2023 saw prestigious events that include National Conference on Legal Services, G-20 working group meeting on tourism, peaceful AmarnathYatra with 4.5 lakh yatris visiting the holy cave while Muharaam procession was allowed for the first time in 34 years in which 40,000 people participated. A peaceful rally of Congress under Bharat JodoYatra was also recorded in J&K.
DGP Swain said that a large section of society can’t be allowed to be hijacked by a few criminal elements be that terrorists, separatists or any organisation with criminal mind set. “So, action against them becomes inevitable,” he said.
“We have identified 324 people responsible for fomenting trouble. This small number won’t be allowed to hijack 1.4 Cr people of J&K. State Investigation Agency (SIA) and Police tightened their nose on terrorist property and separatist networks after which 99 properties including buildings, land, commercial establishments and shops were attached.
The J&K police chief said that in 2023, 291 terrorist associates were arrested against 373 in 2022. “We are dealing strictly with the repeated offenders,” he said. “201 OGWs were booked under PSA in 2023 of which 171 were in Kashmir and 30 in Jammu.” He said that 89 terror modules were busted of which 78 were in Kashmir and 11 in Jammu. “18 terrorist hideouts were busted—12 in Jammu and 6 in Kashmir,” he said
Foreign terrorists getting some support
Meanwhile DGP said that that foreign terrorists are getting some support from “our territory” and police was mindful of the security situation in the region.
DGP said that he has already admitted that there is a security situation in “Rajouri-Poonch region.”
“There are foreign fighters who have some support coming from our territory. Their (those supporting foreign terrorists) number is very, very limited,” he said. “The foreign fighters hide in houses with the result that information flow is less. They hide in caves, jungles and wilderness.”
As far as the counter-strategy, the DGP Swain said that the same can’t be discussed before the media. “We have discussed the issue and strategy at the top level. We will effectively deal with it,” he said.
To a query that PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has alleged that she wasn’t allowed to meet the families of three slain in Poonch, DGP Swain said that the job of the police is to ensure that the visit is not leveraged in a malicious manner.
Replying to a query about whether Rajouri-Poonch region was going back to what it was between 1997 to 2003, the DGP said that police are mindful and that there is a gap between past and present situation. “We will fill this gap…,” he said
J&K police wasn’t fighting against the gun-wielding terrorists only but also the false narrative being spread by almost 8000 fake social media handlers sitting across with an aim to incite trouble and glorify terrorism, Director General of Police (DGP) RR Swain said Saturday.
Fake social media handles identified in J&K
DGP said that the out battle is not against terrorists only but against the narrative which is being spread by hundreds of fake social media handles of which 8000 fake social media handles—facebook, twitter and instagram were identified in 2023.
“Their handlers are sitting across the world and their aim is to incite trouble and glorify terrorism. They peddle wrong information. We are acting against them under the ambit of law after differentiating the genuine and not-genuine,” he said. “We will act against them under IT Act 61. If need arises, we will catch-hold of them through Interpol.”
The year 2024 will witness a decisive battle against narco-terror. “The links between narco-terror, separatism and terrorism was already nailed in 2023,” he said.
“Links of narco-terrorism have been found in Kashmir to Jammu to Punjab and Delhi. Other links including the handlers were traced in Paris, Canada and Turkey. In the recent case of the Rambannarco-terror module, the mastermind was traced in Turkey.”
Cyber Crime, a lot more needs to be done: DGP Swain said that police are mindful about cybercrime and the fact is that this crime is going under-reported and affecting more people than what police actually knows.
“We are upgrading the system and lot more needs to be done to prevent cybercrimes,” he said, adding that large amount was traced and given back to the people who were cheated through internet fraud and digital world frauds.KNO/IANS
