Upping the ante

Five Army personnel, including two captains of special forces, were killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district that began on Wednesday. According to the Army, the bravehearts made the supreme sacrifice while trying to prevent collateral damage to women and children. Two terrorists, including a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander, were also killed in the gunfight. In April-May this year, the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri had witnessed two ambushes that claimed the lives of 10 soldiers. Increased terrorist activity in these districts has elicited a proportionately strong response from the security forces. This year, at least 120 people, including more than 80 terrorists and over 25 security personnel, have been killed in militancy-related violence in J&K. Overall, violence has been on the decline in recent years — the number of terror incidents decreased from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021, while the death toll of security personnel dropped from 91 in 2018 to 42 in 2021. Nevertheless, stricter action is required to further bring down the numbers and create conditions conducive for resuming the electoral process.

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The focus of the security forces and the J&K administration is not only on neutralising or nabbing terrorists but also on cracking down on their sympathisers. Four government employees, including a doctor and a policeman, were sacked by the UT authorities on Wednesday for alleged terror links. They are accused of helping Pakistan-based terror outfits, providing logistical and financial support to terrorists and propagating their ideology, and indulging in secessionist propaganda. The chargesheet against one of them, Farooq Ahmed Mir, says that he was appointed as a teacher despite being a member of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen and even paid a salary while he was in jail.

The message is loud and clear: neither terrorists nor secessionists will be tolerated. Such a firm approach will help normalise the law and order situation, which, in turn, should lead to holding the long-delayed elections.