New Delhi: The security agencies engaged in counter-insurgency operations in J&K on Thursday expressed serious concern over the recovery of arms and ammunition from different places in the Union Territory.
"Yes, it's a major cause of concern for us. Although we are investing in the recovery of arms and ammunition that took place on Wednesday, it is believed that Pakistan-based terrorist organisations have been supplying these weapons to their members here to carry out subversive activities," said a senior official from the security establishment on condition of anonymity.
Security agencies on Wednesday recovered three pistols, nine magazines, and 69 rounds from the Seoj Dhar area of the Doda district of J&K. As per data, the number of recoveries of such illegal arms and ammunition has increased in the last few years.
In 2020, security agencies recovered 453 arms followed by 364 in 2021, 485 in 2022 and 76 this year. As many as 20,016 ammunition were recovered in 2020 followed by 10,201 in 2021, 15,808 in 2022 and 2,686 this year. Meanwhile, 14 terrorists have been neutralised in J&K since September till date. "10 terrorists have been neutralised in September and 4 neutralised in October," a senior CRPF official told ETV Bharat in New Delhi. To date, this year as many as 53 terrorists including 13 local and 40 foreign terrorists have been neutralised by joint teams of CRPF and J&K police.
Last year, a total of 187 terrorists were neutralised by the security agencies in J&K. The official said that the total number of active terrorists at present is 107 including 36 local and 71 foreign terrorists.
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