The Commander of the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, Lieutenant GeneralK J S Dhillon on April 24 said that after the Pulwama terror attack the Security Forces (SFs) launched an offensive against the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in the Kashmir Valley, resulting in a situation where no one is willing to take up the leadership of the outfit, reports Daily Excelsior. “Forty-one militants were killed. Twenty-five of them belonged to JeM. Thirteen were foreign terrorists - Pakistanis and category A plus and above,” said Lieutenant GeneralDhillon in Srinagar. “We targeted the JeM leadership and the situation now is such that there is no one willing to take up the leadership of the JeM in the Valley. In spite of Pakistan’s best efforts, we will continue to suppress the JeM,” Dhillon said.
The Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh said that 2018 and the current year so far had been successful in containing militancy in the Valley, barring stray incidents, including the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, reports Daily Excelsior. “This year, stone-pelting and law and order engagements reduced drastically. We did face some law and order situations during counter-insurgency operations, but those have been fewer than before,” Singh said. He said the recruitment of local youths into militancy has dipped. “That is a very healthy sign. There were very large-scale successes in counter-insurgency operations. Two-seventy-two terrorists were neutralised in 2018 and many were apprehended,” he said, adding “we stopped a very big number of youths from joining the wrong path (militancy).”
The DGP said militants killed last year included many commanders of JeM and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). “A total of 46 foreign militants have been killed last year and in the current year - 27 belonged from JeM and 19 from LeT. Foreign elements getting neutralised has made a big dent to the ongoing militancy,” he said. The DGP said the successes during the current year have been quite commendable and troops on the ground have done a very good job. He also said planning by the officers led to smooth conduct of the first three phases of the Parliamentary polls.