‘Major focus to achieve ‘zero loss’ of innocent lives’

New Delhi, Nov 28: Nearly all the terrorists involved in the killings of civilians in Jammu and Kashmir last month have been neutralised and the armed forces are now focussing on intelligence-based “surgical operations" involving smaller teams to deal with terror activities in the Union Territory, sources in the security establishment said on Sunday.

They said a “refined” approach to deal with terrorism has been put in place under a more nuanced framework of better coordination among the Jammu and Kashmir police, the intelligence agencies and the Army with an aim to minimise collateral damage.

After a spell of relative calm, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a spate of killings of innocent civilians last month, triggering apprehensions of an intense cycle of violence and turmoil in the region.

The sources said a major focus of the anti-terror drill has been to achieve “zero loss” of innocent lives and all wings of the security forces have been trying to achieve it.

That is why the focus has been on “intelligencebased surgical operations” involving smaller teams, with a focus on drawing support from the local population to such actions, they added.

According to intelligence inputs, Pakistan-based terror handlers have instructed their proxies operating in Kashmir to ensure at least 10 civilian deaths whenever the security forces undertake counterterror operations, the sources said.

They said 24 civilians were killed and 49 injured in various counter-terror operations in 2018.

Over the past three years, the security forces undertook a series of measures to ensure minimum collateral damage and as a result of such efforts, only two civilians were killed and two received minor injuries in 2021, the sources said.

Asked about the encounter in Srinagar's Hyderpora, they said a certain section is focussing on it to occupy “lost space”.

Jammu and Kashmir police chief Dilbag Singh on Thursday said the ongoing investigation into the Hyderpora encounter suggests that the terrorists were supported by a network in carrying out terror activities.