|| NEYAZ ELAHI
BUREAU CHIEF CENTRAL KASHMIR:
Like previous year, the year 2015 also witnessed violence round the year claiming all but 195 lives including hundred local and non-local militants. Militancy related incidents had claimed 220 lives in 2014. The graph of violence came down slightly this year. Among the 195 total killings this year, 100 are militants, 12 Policemen, 41 Civilians, 35 Army men, 5 BSF personnel and 2 CRPF Jawans.
Last year among the total 220 killings, 106 were militants, 17 Policemen, 52 Civilians, 39 Army men, 4 BSF personnel and 2 CRPF Jawans. This year security agencies managed to neutralize some top notch mil- itants including the LeT commander Abu Qasim. As compared to previous year, this year the trend in youth join- ing militant ranks got impetus and more youth were seen hugging mili- tancy all across Valley particularly in South Kashmir.
In January there were total 19 killings including 10 militants, 3 Army men, 3 Civilians, 2 policemen and a BSF soldier. In February Secu- rity Forces did not suffer at the hands of militants instead it managed to neutralize 6 militants. A 20-year-old youth Farooq Ahmed Bhat was killed by Government Forces in February when government forces opened fire on protesters in north Kashmir’s Palhalan area of North Kashmir’s Baram- ulla district. Protestors were protest- ing against nocturnal raid by police. September 2016 2015 Kashmir Leader January The month of April saw 11 killings including five government forces personnel, 5 civilians and a militant. In April militants managed to inflict damages on Indian Forces killing of five of them and critically injuring a ‘dreaded’ counter insurgent cop.
Militants fired upon an SOG man identified as Mustafa in a bus at Mirgund Pattan injuring him critically. Sus- pected also fired upon a former mili- tant in Tral town wounding him critically in the month of April. In May there were total 13 killings including 5 militants, 2 civilians and 9 govern- ment forces personnel. Suspected militants targeted telecom companies and hurled couple of grenades on mo- bile towers in Srinagar and Sopore in May. Unknown gunmen fired upon Telecom Centre in North Kashmir’s Sopore town injuring three among which one civilan Rafiq Ahmed suc- cumbed to his injuries. The killing disrupted telecommunication system in North Kashmir and it was restored only after a gap of two months. Seven militants, 6 civilians and 2 policemen were killed in the month of June.
This month unidentified gunmen exterminated several civil- ians including former militants and Hurriyat G activists. In June a phar- macist and an activist of Tehreek-e- Hurriyat Sheikh Altaf of Iqbal Nagar Sopore was shot dead by unidentified gunmen. Separatists and the family blamed Indian secret agencies for the killing. Unidentified gunmen again shot dead a shopkeeper and Hurriyat G activist Khurshid Ahmed Bhat at Bomai Sopore.
They also managed to kill a former militant Mehrajud- din Dar at Badambagh Sopore while at Mundji Sopore killed another for- mer militant Ajaz Ahmed Reshi. In July, 19 persons including 8 militants, 4 civilians and 7 government forces personnel were killed. In this month three cops, including Station House Officer Pattan Mir Saleem, and a cab driver were injured when suspected militants fired on a police ‘naka’ party in Mirgund area on Srinagar-Baram- ulla highway.
There was large scale violence in August that claimed 32 lives in- cluding 14 militants and 11 civilians. Seven Government Forces person- nel including 4 Army men were also killed in August. 23 people includ- ing 18 militants, 3 Army men and 2 civilians were killed in September in different militancy related incidents. Three bullet ridden bodies were found in an orchard at Dangarpora Pattan in September sparking violent protests.
They were identified as Amir Reshi of Sheva Sopore, Ashiq Hussain Wani of Lolipora Pattan and Naveed Ahmed of Batapora Sopore. Besides in a shocking incident un- identified gunmen shot dead an ex- militant Bashir Ahmed Bhat at Sagipora Sopore. During the attack, his three year old son Burhan was also killed. The killing of the kid invited condemnation from all quarters. There were total 20 killings in October including 11 militants, 7 Army men, a policeman and a civilian. Hindu zealots set a Kashmiri truck on fire near Shivnagar Udhampur. Driver managed to escape however two received burn injuries among which Zahid Ahmed from Botingu Islamabad succumbed to his injuries at Safdar Jung Hospital New Delhi. In November 13 people were killed including 7 militants, 5 Army men and a civilian while in December 13 people including 8 militants, 4 civilians and an Army man became prey to militancy related incidents .
