JAMMU: The Indian Army and security forces have suffered much more casualties in Jammu and Kashmir than in other part of the country where they had been deployed to check insurgency.
While no study has been done to compare the casualty ratio between J&K and the North East, a large number of security officials who served at both the places confirm that the casualty ratio has been three to four times more in the state than in any other part of the country where secessionist elements are active.
A total of 846 security personnel including 370 Armmymen have been killed in the state since the eruption of military in 1990 till September 30, 1994.
A total of 3042 security men have been injured during the period, including more than a thousand Armymen. The forces have been attacked on 8 285 occasions with sophisticated weapons.
Nearly 20 Army officers have laid down their lives and more than 45 have been injured. The Army suffered the maximum number of Casualties in 1993 when 80 Armymen were killed and nearly 350 injured.
Senior officers maintain that the casualties would increase this year. “We are in hot pursuit of antinational elements and are actively involved in the troubled Doda district,” an officer said.
Till October 7, 1994 this year, 70 Armymen have lost their lives and nearly 300 have been injured.
The trained militants and J&K have outnumbered those in any other part of the country.
“Already 4,678 militants have been killed and more than 5,000 are still in custody in the state,” said a Defense Ministry spokesman from Srinagar.
A total of 23,000 persons were detained who were found to be involved in militancy for more than four years now.
Secondly, more sophisticated arms and ammunition has been pumped into J and K by Pakistan. These weapons were reportedly supplied by America to Pakistan during the Afghanistan War. The militant in J and K are equipped with deadlier arms than in the North East.
Thirdly, the close proximity of Pakistan to a long porous line of control (LOC) from Akhnoor to Baltic in Ladakh has been a major contributing factor to the inroads of men and maternal.
Fourthly, the induction of foreign mercenaries into J and K has led to better tactics.
Fifthly, Pakistan has successfully used religion to drum up support for the militants among the people.
Lastly, the absence of any local force like the Assam Rifles has been a disadvantage as the “local forces know the people and the terrain very well and this helps in better operations,” said an officer.
A senior Army official at Srinagar said that the Indian Army has enough experience, expertise and will to fight “terrorism.” “We are in this business since the SOs when insurgency corrupted in the North East.
We have come along way to deal with such situations,” he added.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 14, 1994
