The sudden spurt in terror attacks in Jammu & Kashmir raised concerns in political circles over the deteriorating situation in the region. Four terrorist attacks were reported during the last week, in which 10 people, including a CRPF and two terrorists, were killed and 50 others suffered injuries in Reasi, Kathua and Doda. In Jammu’s Reasi, gunmen opened fire on a private bus carrying pilgrims who were on their way to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. A total of 59 people – 24 security personnel, seven civilians and 28 terrorists – were killed in Rajouri-Poonch in 2023.
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to hold the Assembly polls in the region before September. The Amarnath yatra, an annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine in Kashmir, is likely to begin on 29 June and conclude on 19 August. The Centre has reportedly deployed an additional 500 companies of the central armed police forces in the region.
The militants’ attacks have kept the security forces on their toes and are posing a big challenge to the newly sworn-in NDA government. It has cast a shadow over the Amarnath yatra as well as the upcoming Assembly election in the region. The government should take all necessary steps to foster a sense of peace and security in the region and ensure that development initiatives are not derailed.