Over 300 infiltrations were reported from the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir in 2017, which was a four-year-high, according to figures available with the Home Ministry.
An official said this explained the over 230% increase in ceasefire violations along the LoC this year compared to 2016.
“Till four years ago, the ceasefire violations along LoC stood at 153; this year it has increased to 820 (till December 15); last year it was 228. The increase also explains the 310 infiltration attempts from Pakistan,” a senior Home Ministry official said. Another official said there had been no let-up in the infiltration attempts even after the September 29, 2016 cross-LoC raid publicised by the government.
Asked to explain the rise in incidents along the LoC, MoS for Home Kiren Rijiju told The Hindu , “The increase suggests that Pakistan is frustrated and desperate. It is trying hard to help militants cross over to India.”
As per the data available with the Army, which is deployed along the LoC, at least 33 infiltration bids were foiled this year. The 740-km LoC is under the operational control of the Army and the 192-km International Boundary (IB) in Jammu is manned by the Border Security Force (BSF).
In 2014, when the NDA government came to power, the maximum cross-border firing took place along the densely populated border areas in Jammu region along the IB.
“In 2014, cross-border firing at IB stood at 430 and this year it came down to 110. We are seeing a reverse in the pattern as Pakistan has become desperate to push in terrorists through LoC. Any violence along the IB attracts international scrutiny as it is a settled boundary,” said the official.
The year also saw the record number of terrorists being killed in J&K even as the number of terror related incidents-335, were at a four-year-high.
On Wednesday, Minister of State for Home, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said the incidents of stone-pelting against security forces in J&K had come down from 2,808 in 2016 to 1,198 till November this year. He said an adequate number of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel were deployed in J&K to assist the State government in maintaining public order.
Earlier government had informed the Lok Sabha that after the “surgical strikes” last year, there were 341 terror incidents in J&K from November 1, 2016, to October 31, 2017 in comparison to 311 such incidents in the corresponding period the previous year.
