Jammu and Kashmir: Centre Claims Four-Fold Decline In Infiltration Attempts

The Centre on Wednesday informed the Rajya Sabha that there has been a four-fold decline in cross-border infiltration attempts in Jammu and Kashmir in the last five years. As per the data collected by the Ministry of home affairs, 136 infiltration attempts were made in 2017, while only 34 were made in 2021.

Cross-border infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir has come down significantly with 143 attempts in 2018, 138 in 2019 and 51 in 2020. This information was shared in the Upper House by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai in a written reply.

Explaining the reason for the reduction in cross-border infiltration, the Minister said that the government has taken a multi-pronged approach to check cross-border infiltration.

This includes multi-level deployment along the International Border/Line of Control, border fencing, better intelligence and operational coordination, equipping security forces with advanced weapons and proactive action against infiltrators, the minister said.

The Minister of State for Home’s response came when he was asked whether cross-border infiltration has increased in Jammu and Kashmir during the last five years and the steps taken by the government to check the menace.

The killing of people from minority communities in Jammu and Kashmir remained at its peak in 2021, with 11 deaths in various terrorist attacks, the Home Ministry said in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

As per the data, a total of 11 people from minority communities were killed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2017, three in 2018, six in 2019, three in 2020 and 11 in 2021.

Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai shared the figures in the Upper House in a written reply to a question that referred to the killing of 34 people from minority communities who lost their lives in terrorist-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir between 2017 and 2021.

Responding to a question about the measures taken by the government to ensure the safety of minorities in the Valley, the Minister said that the government has taken several measures to ensure the safety of minorities in the Valley.

These include strong security and intelligence grid, group security, round the clock checking at the Nakas. Simultaneously, patrolling is being done in areas where minorities live. Apart from this, active operations against terrorists are also involved.