Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday directed security forces to dismantle the “terror eco-system comprising elements that aid, abet and sustain the terrorist-separatist campaign” in Jammu and Kashmir, people familiar with the development said, after a high-level meeting to review the security in the Union territory.
The meeting came hours after the J&K police killed four terrorists who attempted to reach Kashmir from Jammu on Wednesday, foiling a possible terror strike, and at a time of high vigil in the run-up to the Republic Day celebrations.
The J&K review meeting, which covered security and development, was attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, chiefs of the Intelligence Bureau, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), central paramilitary forces deployed in the state, and officials from the police and administration.
Issues pertaining to steps being taken to stop infiltration, smuggling of arms and explosives, radicalisation of youngsters and other activities of Pakistan-backed terrorists were discussed.
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“HM Amit Shah reviewed the functioning of the security grid and various aspects related to security and gave necessary directions to follow the policy of zero tolerance against terrorism,” a statement issued by the MHA said.
{{/usCountry}}“HM Amit Shah reviewed the functioning of the security grid and various aspects related to security and gave necessary directions to follow the policy of zero tolerance against terrorism,” a statement issued by the MHA said.
{{/usCountry}}“A terror eco-system comprising element that aid, abet and sustain the terrorist-separatist campaign to the detriment of the well-being of common man requires to be dismantled,” the home minister said during the meeting, according to the MHA statement.
There have been sporadic incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir in recent months, which include attacks on innocent civilians and security personnel, and infiltration bids from across the border, officials said.
On Wednesday, four armed terrorists were killed in a chance encounter in Jammu with officials aware of the matter saying the group had likely come from Pakistan to carry out attacks, as is commonly the modus operandi.
Earlier this month, there were reports that members of the Kashmiri Pandit community working in the Valley were in a state of panic after a terrorist group released a hit list of 56 employees from among them.
A blog linked to The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, published the list of 56 Kashmiri Pandit workers who were recruited under the Prime Minister’s Rehabilitation Package (PMRP), and warned of mounting attacks on them.
In the aftermath of targeted killings by terrorists, several Kashmiri Pandits employed in the Valley under the PMRP shifted to Jammu and are on a protest for over 200 days, demanding the rest of them be relocated too.
The home minister had a separate meeting on Wednesday with the officials of Ladakh administration to review development works, officials said.
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The government has informed Parliament this month that as many as 118 civilians, including five Kashmiri Pandits and 16 other Hindus and Sikhs, were killed in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 till July 2022.
In May, four Hindu pilgrims were killed and at least 20 injured when their bus caught fire near Katra in Jammu. Police suspect a sticky bomb might have been used to trigger the fire.
The government has claimed it has a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and the security situation has improved significantly in Jammu and Kashmir. There has been substantial decline in terrorist attacks from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021, MHA said in parliament this month.