Kashmir sees record low in local militancy

SRINAGAR — With the killing of six local militants in south Kashmir in the last three days, the number of listed local militants in the Valley has dropped to a single digit — the lowest ever recorded since the insurgency began in the 1990s, officials said.

However, the number of foreign militants operating in the region remains around 40, they added.

On Tuesday, three local militants affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) — Shahid Kuttay and Adnan Shafi Dar from Shopian along with Ehsan-ul-Haq Sheikh from Pulwama — were killed in an encounter in the upper reaches of the Keller area. According to officials, Shahid Kuttay was functioning as the operational commander of LeT in south Kashmir.

Three local militants were killed in a gunbattle in the Tral area of Awantipora district on Thursday.

With their killing, officials said that only seven local militants are now active in Kashmir.

Most of the remaining militants are believed to have joined after 2021. While six of them are active in south Kashmir, one is based in north Kashmir, according to officials. The majority are locally trained; however, a few are believed to have received arms training in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), they added.

Before Tuesday’s encounter, Central agencies had pegged the number of active local militants in the region at 14.

The declining trend in local militancy is attributed to a significant drop in new recruitment over recent years, combined with sustained crackdowns on the militant support network, police officials said.

Officials also noted a shift in the operational tactics of local militants. Unlike earlier years, they are now avoiding posting photographs or claims on social media and have largely gone underground.

“Their current role appears to involve providing logistical and tactical support to foreign militants, particularly in navigating forested terrain for guerrilla-style warfare,” they said.

While the number of active local militants may have dropped to single digits, security agencies remain concerned about ‘hybrid terrorists’ — individuals who are not officially listed.

Following the recent Pahalgam attack, security forces have intensified operations, including demolishing multiple houses of militants.