As many as 186 terrorists including 56 foreigners were killed in the year 2022 across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh said that the year 2022 was the most peaceful year on the security front compared to the last four years.
Quoting some reports the DGP informed that in 2022 over 100 youth joined terror groups. "Out of the total of 100 fresh recruits, 17 were arrested, 65 have been eliminated and only 18 are left so far", he claimed.
Addressing the year-ender press conference at Jammu, DGP Singh said that compared to the past four years, the year 2022 was the most peaceful on the security front.
The DGP said that most of the terrorists killed in the year 2022 were affiliated that proscribed Pakistani terror outfits namely the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).
Some self-styled commanders of terror groups were also eliminated in the year 2022.
Most wanted terrorist was killed in 2022.
In April this year security forces eliminated the longest surviving self-styled commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit Mohammad Yosuf Kantroo in an encounter in north Kashmir's Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Top LeT terrorist commander Yousuf Kantroo was involved in several killings of civilians and security forces personnel.
Kantroo was involved in a number of cases and was one of the longest-surviving terrorists in the Valley. He was active in central Kashmir Budgam and Srinagar districts beside North Kashmir's Baramulla.
In August 2021, Jammu and Kashmir released a list of the 10 most wanted terrorists active in the Union Territory. Kantroo was among those who figured in the most-wanted list.
Mohammad Yousuf Dar alias Kantur alias Kantroo alias Issa was one of the oldest terrorists in the Valley. The 51-year-old was from Check Kawoosa village in central Kashmir's Budgam district. He rejoined terrorism in 2017 and was associated with LeT.
Lowest recruitment of local terrorists in the past four years
The DGP said that almost 100 youth joined terror ranks of which 17 were arrested, the remaining were eliminated and just 18 are left who will also be killed soon.
"We haven't seen such a lowest local militant recruitment in the past four years", he said.
The DGP said many youth who had tread the wrong path were brought back. He said that 146 terror modules were busted in the year bidding goodbye. "Each module comprised 4 to 5 youth.
The figure is less since 2017 as in 2017 126 youth joined terror ranks, 218 in the year 2018, 126 in 2019, 167 in 2020, and 128 in the year 2021.
188 riffles and 275 pistols were seized in 2022
The DGP said in the year 2022, 188 weapons including AK 47 riffles, 275 pistols, 354 grenades, 61 grenades, and 61 IEDs including some ready-to-use that were drone dropped.
"There were some unfortunate incidents of blasts in Udhampur but the majority of bids were foiled", he said.
The DGP Singh said that compared to previous years, forces faced fewer causalities in the year 2022. "Fourteen (14) policemen and 17 security forces personnel were killed in the year 2023, which is the lowest ever. Civilian causalities were also less. There were just 24 law and order incidents all very mild in nature," he said.
Mission zero terror for 2023
The DGP said that the new year resolution of police for the year 2023 will be Mission Zero Terror and the prime focus will be on wiping out the "terror ecosystem wherever it exists in J&K.
