Official sources said most of the militants operating in the valley are well educated local youth. Leading the flock is 22 year old Burhan Muzaffar Wani of Hizbul Mujhadeen who is operating from south Kashmir's Tral area.
It is official, there are over 200 militants operating in the strife-torn Kashmir valley.
"As far as the numbers are concerned, there are more than 200 militants operating in Kashmir. Whenever there are functions like January 26 security forces have dominated the entire area. Intelligence agencies and security forces have jointly ensured peaceful functions", said Lieutenant General Satish Dua, general officer commanding (GoC) of 15 Corps.
Official sources said most of the militants operating in the valley are well educated local youth. Leading the flock is 22 year old Burhan Muzaffar Wani of Hizbul Mujhadeen who is operating from south Kashmir's Tral area.
Son of a school principal, Burhan, a tech-savvy youth who loves to be photographed and uses social media to the hilt, is one of the most wanted militant commanders in the valley. From policeman to highly educated youth, Burhan's group is swelling as more and more people are joining him for "Jihad".
"There is almost zero exfilitration which means no youth is able to cross over to other side of LoC for arms training. The infiltrators are mostly Pakistanis who cross into the state for subversion. However the number of local militants is increasing because of the growing radicalisation", said a senior police officer engaged in the counter terror operations.
Two hundred militants are active in the valley despite the fact that 106 militants were killed by the security forces in different counter terror operations from January 1 to December 28, 2015. In the corresponding period of 2014 around 110 ultras were gunned down. Similarly around 67 militants were arrested from January 1 to December 28 2015 compared to 70 in the same period in 2014.
What has send alarm bells ringing is that the number of militants is increasing despite the fact that there has been significant decrease in the infiltration from across the Line of Control last year.
Official figures reveal that there were 222 infiltration attempts in 2014 in which 52 militants were killed and 105 returned back. Similarly, from January to September 2015 there were 92 infiltration attempts in which 37 militants were killed and one was arrested while 38 returned back.
Experts say the reason for the decline in infiltration attempts was the army's strong and multi-layered counter infiltration grid which hampers the ultras to cross in the valley from the other side of the Line of Control. "Our counter-Infiltration grid is robust and multi-tiered", said Lieutenant General Dua.
What is more worrying for the security agencies is the cross border fidayeen attacks which has taken heavy toll of the security forces in the state.
Official figures reveal that there have been 12 cross border terror attacks since September 2013 to January 2016 in which 51 security forces personnel were killed and 15 others injured.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}