Kulgam, 30-Dec; Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar Thursday said that for the first time in the past 30 years of militancy in Kashmir, the number of active militants in the Valley has come down to less than 200 while the number of local militants active is just 86.Addressing a joint press conference at 2 Sector RR headquarters in Wuzur area of Qazigund, the General officer Commanding (GoC) of Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lieutenant General D P Pandey, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar, SSP Anantnag Ashish Kumar Mishra and other officials of police and army said that in the last 24 hours, six militants including two foreigners and a soldier were killed in two encounters at Anantnag and Kulgam districts.“An army soldier identified as sepoy Jasbir Singh was killed in the gunfight at Anantnag while two more soldiers and a cop have been injured in the exchange of fire and are stable”, ,” the GoC 15 Corps said.Speaking on the occasion,SSP Anantnag while giving the identity of slain militants said that one M-4 carbine, eight magazines, two AK 47 riffles and other ammunition were recovered from slain JeM militants.IGP Kashmir further added that in the past five days, 11 militants were killed and in two operations since last night, six militants including two foreign militants were killed.“For the first time in the past 30 years of militancy in Kashmir, the number of active militants has come down to less than 200. It is also for the first time that number of local active militants is 86 only,” IGP said.IGP Kashmir said that this year out of 128 local militants who joined militancy, of which 73 were killed, 17 were arrested and only 39 are active.Replying to a query that foreign militants are also getting killed, the GoC said that it was because they are coming out of their hide-outs to carry out operations as locals militants are refusing to attack forces due to their own challenges.“As the foreigners would come out of their hide-outs, they will be killed,” he said.GoC Pandey said that compared to 180 last year, local militant recruitment has drastically came down as this year only 128 to 130 locals joined militancy. (CNS)
