Srinagar: At least 18 people were killed in military-related incidents across Jammu and Kashmir in October, marking a spike in violence post the successful conduct of Assembly elections. The casualties include civilians, security force personnel, and militants.
Officials say that in seven major incidents across the region, the total death toll included 10 civilians, two security personnel, and six militants last month.
A senior police officer attributed the surge in attacks to attempts by militant groups to disturb peace.
“After the successful conduct of Assembly elections in J&K, militants are again trying to disturb the region's peace. Security forces, with enhanced technological and human surveillance, are foiling these plans, but the militants have resorted to targeting both local and non-local civilians," he told ETV Bharat, wishing anonymity.
He added that security had been beefed up across the sensitive places, particularly infrastructural projects.
The high-stakes Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024 witnessed significant voter turnout across the union territory and concluded with the National Conference getting the magic numbers and forming the government. Held in multiple phases from September 18 to October 28, the elections were the first since the abrogation of Article 370.
Sharing details of October's major incidents, the official said: “On October 5, security forces thwarted an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gugaldhar area (north Kashmir's Kupwara district), resulting in the killing of two militants. The infiltration attempts continued on October 19, when another militant was killed by security forces in the Kamalkote area (Uri) of north Kashmir's Baramulla district.”
The official further said, “The attacks escalated on October 18 with the shooting of Ashok Chauhan, a 30-year-old non-local from Bihar, by unidentified militants in Wandana Melhora area (south Kashmir's Shopian district). This incident underscored the targeted nature of recent attacks against civilians, particularly non-locals."
October's deadliest militancy-related incident occurred on October 20 in the Gagangeer area near the Z-Morh tunnel (Central Kashmir's Ganderbal district). According to the official, militants from The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) killed Dr Shahnawaz, a local doctor, and six labourers, a mix of local and non-local workers, including Faheem Nazir, Kaleem, Mohammad Hanif, Shashi Abrol, Anil Shukla, and Gurmeet Singh. Five others were injured.
"The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over this case, and further details are being investigated," the official said, declining further comment on the ongoing probe.
"The attacks continued with an ambush on an Army vehicle on October 24 in the Buta Pathri (Gulmarg) area near the LoC in Baramulla district. Two Army personnel and two civilian porters were killed, and three other soldiers sustained injuries. The People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), an offshoot of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), claimed responsibility for it,” the official said.
He said that from October 28 to 29, three militants were killed in a two-day encounter in a forested area near Assan Temple, Jogwan village, in the Battal-Khour region close to the LoC in Jammu's Akhnoor sector.
The official claimed that from October 28 to 29, three militants were killed in a two-day gunfight in a forest near Assan Temple, Jogwan village, in the Battal-Khour region near the LoC in Jammu's Akhnoor sector.
He said that militants were attempting to disrupt peace across all regions of Jammu and Kashmir and that in October militant attacks were witnessed in north, central, and south Kashmir, as well as in the Jammu region. “Most of these attacks occurred near the LoC. Consequently, all security forces have also increased their presence in the region,” he added.
In a recent press conference, Major General Sameer Srivastava, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Army's 10th Infantry Division, confirmed heightened militant activity across the LoC. “According to joint intelligence reports, approximately 50 to 60 militants are stationed at launching pads, ready to infiltrate into Jammu," the official relayed, citing Major General Srivastava.
Meanwhile, according to official records, 2024 has recorded 109 fatalities linked to militancy across Jammu and Kashmir, including 28 civilians, 25 security personnel, and 55 militants in 51 incidents.
The year began relatively quietly, with only a few incidents and five fatalities in the first three months. However, the region saw a gradual spike in violence, which peaked by April, resulting in seven deaths—three civilians and four militants—across six operations. In May, the UT reported seven more deaths, including one civilian, one security personnel, and five militants.
Similarly, June saw a steep rise with 21 fatalities—nine civilians, eleven militants, and one security personnel—over eight events, while July was the bloodiest month with 27 fatalities, including 14 security personnel and 13 militants in nine incidents.
The rise continued into August, with 11 deaths, including one civilian and five militants, in seven events, followed by 13 fatalities in September, involving three security officers and ten terrorists in six incidents.
Another wave of violence erupted in October, with seven attacks killing 18 people, including 10 civilians, two security forces personnel, and six militants.
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