Operation Garol, Anantnag: The seven-day-long protracted anti-terror operation came to an end with the killing of local Lashkar terrorist Uzair Khan in the Gadol forest, Anantnag District, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The army and police earlier launched a joint operation in Gadol forest following a specific input about the presence of at least three Lashkar terrorists. The week-long offensive saw the martyrdom of four security personnel. The four security personnel – Colonel Manpreet Singh, SM Major Ashish Dhonchak, SM, Sepoy Pardeep Singh of 19 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) battalion and DySP (DSP) Himayun Bhat of J&K Police laid down their lives in service of the nation.

The last terrorist incident in J&K in which an officer of the Indian Army at the rank of Colonel was killed, was reported on May 2, 2020. Colonel Ashutosh Sharma and Major Anuj Sood were among five Security Force (SF) personnel killed in a counter-terrorist operation at a village in the Rajwar Forest in the Chanjmulla area of Kupwara District. Two holed-up terrorists, including LeT ‘commander’ Haider, a Pakistani national, were later killed.

It was an intelligence operation initiated on September 13 based on the objective of flushing out terrorists hiding in the Kokernag area of Anantnag District. Operation Garol had the decisive outcome of killing the local Lashkar terrorist Uzair Khan. Search operations continue to retrieve the body of another terrorist. Security forces were using drones, rocket launchers and helicopters for surveillance of dense forest areas and to attack the exact location of terrorists. According to reports, this same group of terrorists carried out an attack on army personnel on August 4, 2023, killing three troopers in the Halan Forest area of Kulgam District. The Resistance Front, a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the September 13 killings.

In 2022, 1.85 crore tourists visited UT of J&K. The number is expected to grow up to 2.25 crore this year. This wave of transformation was on display when India held the G20 Tourism Meet in May 2023 where over 60 delegates from G20 member countries participated in the event.

Dr Ajai Sahni, South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), Institute for Conflict Management (ICM), shared his perspec Article 370ve regarding the encounter in Anantnag District. He remarked: “Security Forces have secured tremendous dominance in J&K over the years, but the killing of four personnel, including three senior officers, in an ambush, demonstrates that the terrorist threat is far from being neutralized and Pakistan’s intentions have not changed. New tactics and strategies are constantly being adopted by the adversary, and will require continuous course correction on the part of state Forces as well.”

Kashmir is Changing

Jammu & Kashmir has undergone a remarkable change since the abrogation of Article 370. The Government of India told the Supreme Court that abrogation of the legislation led to “unprecedented development, progress, security and stability to the region” and that “life has returned to normalcy in the region after three decades of turmoil.” It also said that the abrogation of Article 370 led to the dismantling of the terror network, and incidents of stone pelting and street violence have “now become a thing of the past”. For instance, stone pelting incidents recorded a significant drop from 2018 to 2023 (August 4) – from 1,767 to zero. Also, 52 instances of bandh/hartal have reduced to zero this year. There is also a significant drop in terrorist recruitment from 199 in 2018 to 12 in 2023 (August 4).

The number of active terrorists in J&K has fallen considerably, from the thousands in the 1990s and early 2000s to less than 150 at present, with almost the entire ground-level leadership in the Union Territory eliminated. Government sources claim that the number of Foreign Terrorists (Pakistani nationals) stands at less than 20, at present.

Tourist footfalls in the region have surged with border tourism gaining immense popularity. In 2022, 1.85 crore tourists visited UT of J&K. It is expected to grow up to 2.25 crore this year. This wave of transformation was on display when India held the G20 Tourism Meet in May 2023 where over 60 delegates from G20 member countries participated in the event. In the post-Article 370 days, educational institutes have seamlessly functioned. Highways and tunnel projects worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore are underway. Earlier, 6 kilometres were built every day.

Presently, 50 kilometres are built every day. Moreover, businesses have mushroomed in the region. Dubai-based EMAAR group is constructing a mega mall in Srinagar (10,000 sq. ft.), reckoned as one of the biggest in North India. Startups and entrepreneurs have capitalised on newfound opportunities. The Union Territory of J&K is the first instance where every family is covered under health insurance of Rs 5 lakh. Lt Governor Manoj Sinha provided a healing touch despite security risks with his participation in the 10th Muharram procession in the month of July in Srinagar. His civilian administration has paid attention to renovating temples and gurdwaras in UT of J&K. He travels to far-flung militancy-infested areas by road. His push for sports and related activities has drawn the youth out of militancy.

There is the uphill task of conducting the Panchayat elections in October-November this year. This would indeed mark a crucial step towards strengthening the grassroots democratic system in the region. It is hoped that the assembly elections in J&K will be held after the delimitation process is complete, as announced by PM Narendra Modi.

The alert Security Forces (SFs) have gained the upper hand over terrorists in the past years, especially since the abrogation of Article 370. According to SATP, in 2023 (till September 17), the number of SF personnel killed stands at 21, as against 28 in the corresponding period of 2022. There was a total of 30 fatalities in this category in 2022. A recent high of 95 SF personnel killed was recorded in 2018, which dropped to 78 in 2019, 56 in 2020, and 45 in 2021. Between 1990 and 2007, the peak years of the terrorist movement, deaths in this category in each year remained continuously in the three digits, with a high of 638 killed in 2000. In between, a low of 18 SF fatalities was recorded in 2012. At the same time, the number of active terrorists in J&K has fallen considerably, from the thousands in the 1990s and early 2000s to less than 150 at present, with almost the entire ground-level leadership in the Union Territory eliminated. Government sources claim that the number of Foreign Terrorists (Pakistani nationals) stands at less than 20, at present.

Challenges

However, there are certain lingering challenges with reports of targeted attacks on Hindu civilians by terrorists. There is the uphill task of conducting the Panchayat elections in October-November this year. This would indeed mark a crucial step towards strengthening the grassroots democratic system in the region. It is hopeful that the assembly elections in J&K will be held after the delimitation process is complete, as announced by PM Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech on August 15, 2020. Further, the Government of India on August 29, 2023, informed the Supreme Court that the bifurcation of Jammu & Kashmir was a temporary measure and it will be eventually reversed to that of the State when normalcy is restored. The terror attacks in Anantnag, Rajouri and other hotspots of terror however are a stark reminder that security forces need to be ever vigilant and alert in the days to come.

-The writer is Assistant Professor, School of Law, Presidency University, Bengaluru. Views herein expressed are personal.