New Delhi: There is “definitely” a periodic spurt in militancy incidents in Jammu and Kashmir but these are immediately contained by security forces, CRPF director general (DG) Kuldiep Singh said on Thursday.
The months of December and January have been “very good” for security forces and their success rate has been high and there are times when a spurt is seen in militant violence.
“There has not been a spurt in terrorist incidents as it was being thought. There have been 2-3 incidents recently and yes, if you feel that these incidents are increasing, then yes definitely there is a spike but this spike has been contained immediately,” the DG said.
He was addressing a press conference ahead of the 83rd Raising Day of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to be celebrated on March 19 in Jammu.
The about 3.25 lakh personnel strong force was raised under the British rule in 1939 and it is currently designated as the lead internal security force of the country with a primary role in anti-Naxal operations and counter-militant duties in Kashmir.
On Wednesday, three militants were killed in Kashmir and sometime back a foreign militant was killed, he said.
In the case of the killing of an off-duty CRPF soldier in Kashmir, the security forces got into quick action and have arrested the attacker, he said.
“So, it is a periodic thing…but we undertake quick and immediate action to control such incidents,” the DG said.
He added that these incidents are “not totally controlled by internal terrorists but from across the border too.”
“Instructions for targeting someone in Jammu and Kashmir come from foreign soil too…there are intelligence inputs too. But the situation is not out of hand (in J&K),” Singh said.
He said that after the abrogation of Article 370 that accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, incidents of stone pelting have come down to “nil” now and the number of foreign terrorists operating in Kashmir Valley too is very less.
According to CRPF data, a total of 175 militants have been killed by it in the past year in Jammu and Kashmir, 183 have been apprehended and two have surrendered. Three CRPF personnel were killed while 61 injured between March 2021 and March 16 this year.
The DG also said that they are looking at a “truck scanner” like gadget, called the multi-mode passive detection system, to detect hidden arms and ammunition in large vehicles
There have been incidents where armed militants hiding in trucks and four-wheelers have been intercepted at check-posts on roads in Jammu and Kashmir.
CRPF teams will go and see these technologies and gadgets in the US and some other places where they are working on the ground and if found efficient, the force will procure them, Singh said. PTI

Press Trust of India