SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir witnessed significant militancy-related incidents in 2024, with 29 army soldiers, including five officers, killed in various encounters, ambushes, and attacks. Joint forces killed 69 militants, including 24 locals, 27 foreign operatives, and 18 infiltrators. Meanwhile, 55 security personnel, including soldiers, police officers, and Special Police Officers (SPOs), sustained injuries during operations.
Soldiers’ Killed
The year began with incidents in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, where a soldier lost his life during an operation. In Rajouri’s Nowshera sector, Agniveer Ajay Singh died in an IED blast, while Poonch district’s Sanai Top saw another soldier killed in an encounter.
Significant casualties included five soldiers, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), killed in a militant ambush in Kathua’s Badnota area. In Doda’s Deesa forest area, four soldiers, including an officer, were killed in a gunfight. Other fatalities were reported from Kupwara, Kokarnag, and Baramulla, with Captain Deepak Kumar and several other soldiers losing their lives in various operations.
Counter-Militancy Operations
Security forces achieved notable successes, eliminating 69 militants. These included local commanders such as LeT’s Basit Dar and Umar Khan, and Riyaz Ahmad Dar from Pulwama. Among the foreign operatives killed, many were neutralised in Kupwara’s difficult terrains and along the Line of Control (LoC).
Eighteen infiltrators were intercepted and killed in gunfights across sectors such as Uri, Keran, and Nowshera. The army’s vigilance along the LoC played a pivotal role in curbing infiltration attempts.
Security Personnel Injuries
The militancy incidents also led to injuries for 55 security personnel. Two soldiers were injured in Rajouri’s Nowshera sector in an IED blast, while others sustained injuries during attacks on posts in Gundhah village and Territorial Army headquarters in Manjakote.
In Doda, multiple attacks left soldiers and an SPO injured. Encounters in Poonch, Kishtwar, and Bandipora also added to the toll, with operations in the Ketsun forest area and Ahlan Gagarmandu forest resulting in injuries to officers and soldiers.
Persistent Challenges
The militancy-related activities in 2024 highlight the ongoing challenges in Jammu and Kashmir. Despite significant counter-militancy successes, the loss of soldiers and injuries sustained by security forces underline the high cost of maintaining peace and security in the region. -(KL)
