Srinagar, Feb 08 : The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Wednesday said that year 2022 saw highest number of anti-militancy operations in J&K in which 187 militants were killed while as civilian and security forces killings were at all-time low. Replying to a query in Rajya Sabha, the MHA said that 111 counter militancy operations were launched in 2022, which is highest since 2018 that recorded 100 such operations. “In 2018, 228 militancy related incidents were recorded, 153 in 2019, 1126 in 2020, 129 in 2021 and 125 in 2022,” the MHA reply states as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). It further states that the year 2018 saw 189 encounters. “In 2019, 102 encounters were reported, 118 in 2020, 100 in 2021 and 117 in 2022,” the reply reads. It further reads that 39 civilians were killed in 2018, 39 again in 2019, 37 in 2020, 41 in 2021 and 30 in 2022. “91 security forces personnel were killed in action in 2018, 80 in 2019, 62 in 2020, 42 in 2021 and 31 in 2022, (which is lowest since 2018),” the reply adds. It states that year 2018 saw 100 counter militancy operations while as in year 2019, 74 such operations were launched. “Year 2020 recorded 100 such operations, year 2021, 95 and year 2021 and 111 in 2021 (highest since 2018,” it reads. The reply also states that in year 2018, 17 militants were arrested, 20 in 2019, 21 in 2020, 17 in 2021 and 24 in 2022. “In 2018, the highest number of militants were killed at 257, 157 were killed in 2019,221 in 2020, 180 in 2021 and 187 in 2022,” the reply reads. In reply to another query, the MHA stated that no new Village Defence Groups (VDGs) were created while the existing ones are continuing. “At present, sanctioned strength of VDGs is 4985 of which 4153 have been constituted,” the reply reads.
