Yasmeen Manzoor
Srinagar, May 16(KNB): The year 2019 witnessed a continuous number of killings in various incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir, at least 175 people including militants, civilians and security personnel lost their lives during the initial months.
Reports said, 2018 recorded as the deadliest year with around 500 killings while the number of killings this year has crossed 175 in the first four months which signifies that this year could be more worse than the last year.
In January – 2 civilians, 17 militants and 8 security forces personnel were killed. Chief commander of Al Badar oufit, Zeenat-ul-Islam was killed among the 17 militants in the month while a civilian Simranjeet Singh son of Nanak Singh of Khasipora, Tral was killed by some unknown gunmen in the same month.
In February, security forces suffered more causalities than militants as out of 87 persons killed, 60 were security personnel while 22 militants and 5 civilians also died in the month.
In March – 14 civilians, 19 militants and 15 security forces personnel lost their lives, a 12 years old minor Aatif Ahmad resident of Hajin Bandipora who got trapped in the house where the militants were hiding was killed in the month.
In the month of April, 15 militants were killed in seven encounters, among which 14 militants were killied in encounters that broke out between militants and government forces in South Kashmir, while one militant was killed in an encounter in North-Kashmir, several army personnel were also injured.
The first initial days of May, witnessed the killing of 9 militants and one Army personnel among which Khalid, the top commander of the JeM outfit who was wanted in the 2017 fidayeen attack on a CRPF camp in Lethpora that left five CRPF personnel dead was killed while as top Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Commander, Lateef Ahmad Dar who was the last member of Burhan Wani’s group was also killed in the month of May.
Pertinently, February witnessed the deadliest fidayeen (suicide) attack in terms of casualties in three decades, A suicide bomber of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into one of the convoy’s buses travelling on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway near Awantipora that left 40 Central Resereve Police force (CRPF) killed.
Most of the civilians killed during the starting months of this year died when clashes erupted between security forces and youth near encounter sites while some were killed by militants also.
The valley is in turmoil where peaceful atmosphere has now become a dream for every Kashmiri,the continuous growing rate in the killings has caused tension and apprehensions among everyone.(KNB)