IN PAST THREE YEARS, VALLEY TURNED BLOODIER

The Ram zan cease fire in Jammuand Kashmir announced byt he governmen to n May16, comes after a period of heightene darmed violence and killings .“It is important to isolate the forces that bring a bad name to Islam by re sorting to mind less violence and terror,” Home Minister Ra j nat hS inghsai don Twitter on May16. An analysis of Jam mu &Kashmir Police data shows that in the three years since March 2015, when thec urrent government assumed powerinth estate, armed encounters between militants and security forces have increased by 53 percentoverthe preceding three years. Death sin conflict have similarly increased by 51 percent. The Peoples Democratic Party and the B ha ra ti ya Jan at a Party formed a coalition government in Jammu& Kashmirin March2015. Datasuggest an increase in violence and related deaths since then,

particularly after the July 2016 killing of militant commander Bur ha nW a ni. As many as 209 militants were killed in 2017, up65 percent from 136 in 2016.

The data also at test to a spurt in incidents of stone pelting, pelletandbullet injuries, as well as damage to private properties.

By the end of 2016, the number of active militants acrossKashmirwas 209 (136 militants were also killed in that year), according to amap published by the Crime Branch of Jammu& Kashmir Police in its annual crime gazette.

Between 2012 and 2014, the army had estimated that fewer than 100 militants were active in Kashmir, mostofthem non-locals.

The spurt in militancy is reflected in the increase in the number of armed

encounters between militants and security forces. Between 2012 and 2014, 129 encounters or incidents of cross-firing between security forces andmilitantswere recorded, inwhich227 militants( including 60 K ash miri militants) and 101 security forces( including 48armypersonnel) were killed, Jammu& Kashmir Police data show.

Encounters registered an increase of 53 percent, with 247 encounters recorded from 2015 to 2017, in which 439 militants (including 156 Kashmir is) and 200 government forces( including 109 army personnel) were killed.

Asmanyas4,799 incidents of stone pelting took place from 2015 to 2017, as per home ministry datacited in a parliamentary response on February7,2018.