2018 proves to be the bloodiest year for Security Forces in Jammu & Kashmir in a decade
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 15, 2019
The average number of terror related incidents in Jammu & Kashmir have decreased fivefold during the seven-year period from 2011 to 2017 compared to the period from 2004 to 2010. However, the last three years (2016 to 2018) have seen increased terror activity in Jammu & Kashmir with security forces suffering the highest casualties after 2007. The number of terror related incidents also doubled in this 3 year period compared to the previous 3 years.
Close to 40 security personnel belonging to the CRPF were killed in a IED blast near Pulwama in one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in Jammu & Kashmir.  In terms of the number of casualties, the year 2018 has proved to be the bloodiest year for security forces in J&K after the year 2007. In the year 2007, security forces suffered 110 casualties in J&K. After 2007, the number of casualties was less than 80 in each till the year 2016.
Significant increase in terror related incidents in the last 3 years
The number of terror related incidents in J&K has significantly decreased after 2007. A total of 2565 terror incidents were witnessed in 2004. Between 2004 & 2010, the annual average number of terror related incidents in J&K was 1287. The average has come down to 260 for the period between 2011 & 2017. However, in the last three years (2016 to 2018), there has been a significant increase in the terror related incidents.  The number of such incidents  between 2016 & 2018 is more than twice the number of such incidents between 2013 & 2015.
2018 proves to be the bloodiest year for Security forces after 2007
In the year 2004, 281 security personnel were killed in terror related incidents in J&K. The casualty figure has decreased continuously in the years after 2004 and reached 75 in the year 2008. The casualty figure has remained at less than 75 till the year 2015. In fact, the casualty figure has been less than 50 in four of these years. But in the year 2016, the casualty figure increased to 82 and for the year 2018, it stood at 91, the highest since 2007. In other words, 2018 has proved to be bloodiest year for the security forces after 2007.
The increase in terror related activity is also evident in the casualty figure of the terrorists. Between 2011 & 2015, the casualty figure of the terrorists was about 100 or less in each of the years. In 2016, it increased to 150 and further increased to 213 in 2017 and to 257 in 2018. The 2018 figure is the highest ever after 2008.
Infiltration attempts also on the rise
The increase in terror related activity is further corroborated by the steep increase in the number of infiltration attempts across the LoC. From 489 such attempts in 2010, the number of infiltration attempts had come down to 121 in 2015. In 2016, it has more than tripled to reach 371. It has decreased slightly to 323 in 2018.
There has also been a substantial increase in the number of ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC. The number of ceasefire violations have increased from about 44 in 2010 to 1599 in 2018, an increase of almost 35 times.
Featured Image: Terror related incidents in Jammu & Kashmir