Over 360 terrorists eliminated in less than two years in Jammu and Kashmir: CRPF chief Rajiv Bhatnagar

New Delhi, September 10: Over 360 terrorists were eliminated in less than two years while back-to-back combat operations by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir reduced the "shelf life" of terrorists. This was said by the CRPF Director General (DG) Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar on Sunday.

 

Notably, in an interview to Press Trust of India (PTI), Rajiv Bhatnagar said as figures show an increase in the number of local youths joining terror groups in the valley, security forces are reaching out to young men through all possible ways to stop them from taking up arms.

Bhatnagar further said that keeping in mind the security challenges, the CRPF has increased the protection level of its troops operating in the valley by inducting full-body protectors, bulletproof vehicles and special armoured interception vehicles to enable personnel to operate in life-threatening situations.

"The terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, some of them are from outside and there are also the misguided youth who join terror groups. It is quite a mix. The numbers go up and down but if you were to look at the length, the time for which terrorists survive in Jammu and Kashmir, then the signal is very clear that the terrorist recruitment is having no impact,” Bhatnagar added.

"The shelf life of terrorists, the time frame to survive, is very short. So, even if the numbers may be large, they may be more, but the consequence is limited," the CRPF chief said when asked if recruitment of local Kashmiri youths by terror groups is rising and a cause of concern.

"It is only a matter of time. We have made a lot of efforts to wean them away and have also asked them to surrender, and a lot of them have come back. They have to understand that taking up the gun serves no purpose," he added.

The CRPF chief, on youths taking up arms, also said that obviously this is something that we have to prevent and take appropriate steps so that the youth does not take to militancy and those who have done so, come back.

"The official numbers show an increase in recruitment. However, with the increase in the number of elimination the overall picture is better," he said. “The CRPF has over 60 battalions deployed in the Jammu and Kashmir said his force, the state police and the Army are operating in a very good synergy,” he added.

"We have worked as one unit. That has given us a lot of success. This year 142 terrorists have been neutralized. If you look at last year's figures, it was more than 220 terrorists who were killed. There is excellent coordination between security forces and they have the upper hand.

"Their notable commanders have been eliminated. Fidayeen attacks on camps have been effectively rebuffed. We have denied them any success in terms of camp attacks also," the DG noted. He said the law and order situation in the valley is not like any other theatre in the country as there is a "guerrilla hit-and-run like tactic" used here.

"We are, hence, working very closely with the Jammu and Kashmir Police," Bhatnagar said adding that our drills, our equipment as well as our schemes are working well and we are able to counter efforts to disrupt the operations through stone pelting.

"It is in only on very rare occasions that the stone pelters have managed to disrupt the operations that is too when it has been sudden exchange and the preparation has not been there. That has been the only time that the terrorists have managed to get away," the DG stated.

He also spoke about better equipping his personnel to combat the security challenge in the state, specifically in the valley. "We have gone in for better protection, full body protectors for our people, use of less lethal weaponry so that there is less collateral damage and the number of casualties and serious injuries on our side and the public is less,” he added. Bhatnagar, in the end, underlined that the collateral damage has been fairly minimized.