Srinagar: Despite unilateral ceasefire announced by the Central government, the holy month of Ramzan saw 39 killings and nearly 61 incidents of militant-initiated action in Kashmir.
Those killed included 24 militants, nine security men and six civilians.
Since May 17 when the security forces had halted anti-militancy operations, out of the 24 militants killed, 22 were eliminated along the border in Kupwara district. The Army says all 22 militants were infiltrators. The other two militants were killed in Bandipora district in a gunfight when militants ambushed an Army patrol.
Out of the nine security men killed, five were J&K policemen and four were Army men. Of the four Army men, one was abducted and later killed by the militants in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
The bloodiest attack during the Ramzan was carried by gunmen suspected to be militants in the heart of Srinagar on June 14, which left Shujaat Bukhari, editor-in-chief of Valley’s leading daily “Rising Kashmir”, dead along with two of his security guards.
The major relief has been the reduction in the number of civilian killings. The civilian killings during the gunfights this year had become a major concern for the security establishment.
During Ramzan, two civilians were killed in forces action. While one was killed allegedly in Army firing in Pulwama, another was crushed to death by a CRPF vehicle during a stone-throwing incident in Srinagar.
Gunmen suspected to be militants also killed three civilians. One among them was beheaded in front of his family in the Hajin area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
During Ramzan, however, there was a spurt in grenade attacks. At least 18 grenade attacks took place this Ramzan which left 56 persons, including 27 security men, injured.
There was also a reduction in stone-throwing incidents in the Valley.