Rising militancy
There were sharp spikes in deaths in militancy-related incidents in the relatively peaceful districts of the Jammu region
In 2023, militancy-related incidents were mostly confined to the Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu
In 2024 they have spread to newer districts such as Doda, Kathua, and Reasi
In June this year, in Reasi, bus was attacked and nine pilgrims who were on their way to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra were killed
The share of civilian deaths in such incidents across J&K has been disproportionately high — in fact, the highest in about two decades
This year, the share of civilian deaths in the total number of deaths due to militancy stands at 26%, the highest since 2005.
Civilians are either caught in the crossfire between militants and the security forces
or are being deliberately targeted by terrorists.
In the last two years, there has been an increase in the targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits and minorities in the Valley.
Last year, civilians detained by the Army died following a deadly ambush on their convoy.
Civilians were allegedly tortured by the security forces last year too, as per various reports.
When the Article 370 removal induced lockdown was eased, there was a spurt in the number of militancy-related deaths.
The numbers came down again with the pandemic outbreak and the imposition of a lockdown to contain the spread of the virus
The numbers went up after the pandemic-related restrictions were eased
Reports show that more Army troops and special forces have been deployed in the Jammu region, in addition to the Central Armed Police Forces
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