Foreign terrorist count up in J&K: CRPF DG

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 29

There has been an increase in the number of foreign terrorists operating in J&K after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan but the overall strength of militants in the Valley is low and can be put below 200, outgoing CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference, he said all security forces operating in Kashmir were working in a coordinated manner and terrorist incidents had gone down after the abrogation of Article 370 from the erstwhile state in 2019.

When asked about the killing of locals and Kashmiri Pandits by terrorists, the DG said: “This is a challenge... After Afghanistan, this challenge has grown in many forms and you can see it.... However, the total number of terrorists in J&K is less now. It is under 200 now as compared to the earlier times when it used to be 230-240.”

The Taliban took over the reins of Afghanistan in August last year.

A 1986-batch IPS officer of the West Bengal cadre, Singh took charge as the CRPF DG in March last year. He will retire from service on Friday.

Singh said the CRPF had got about 200 vehicles plated with bullet-resistant material for operational use in J&K and Naxal violence-affected areas while 125 armoured vehicles had also been procured for the troops.

The CRPF is the country’s largest paramilitary force with an estimated strength of about 3.25 lakh personnel.

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