NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday instructed security forces to strengthen counterterrorism operations and ensure the complete elimination of terror ecosystem in Jammu & Kashmir, but stressed that they must follow “all due procedures” while carrying out counterterror operations, according to an official statement.
The security review comes after five soldiers were killed by terrorists in an ambush in Poonch district of J&K on December 21. A day after the attack, three civilians, aged between 27 and 42, were found dead after they were picked up by the army for questioning. The incident sparked outrage amid allegations of custodial torture. Defence minister Rajnath Singh and army chief General Manoj Pande visited Poonch in the wake of the incident, with the former highlighting the need to “win hearts” along with battles.
“The home minister reviewed the area domination plan of security agencies in Jammu & Kashmir to eliminate the threat of terrorism. While reviewing the functioning of the security grid and overall security scenario, he instructed to strengthen the counterterrorism operations and need for complete elimination of terror ecosystem. He also advised the security agencies for appropriate deployment in vulnerable areas,” the ministry of home affairs (MHA) said in a statement on Tuesday.
Shah stressed that “due procedures should be adopted while dealing with counterterror operations”, the MHA added.
Underlining the importance of further strengthening the local intelligence network, the home minister said that the Centre was committed to zero-tolerance towards terrorism. He further appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and administration of the J&K for the significant decline in terror-related incidents, infiltration and improvement in law-and-order situation, the statement said.
The meeting was attended by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha; Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, and the heads of Intelligence Bureau, central paramilitary forces, and senior officials.
According to government data, Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi districts in Jammu & Kashmir witnessed a series of encounters last year that left 54 people, including 28 terrorists and 19 security personnel, dead.
The uptick in violence is due to desperate attempts from across the border to revive terrorism in the region, said a senior security official who asked not to be named.
According to MHA data, incidents of terrorism in J&K have come down sharply compared to those in the period from 2004 to 2014, as have civilian and security personnel deaths. Between 1994 and 2004, there were a total of 40,164 terror incidents in the region, 7,217 from 2004 to 2014, and 2,197 in the last nine years, the data said.
