176 terrorist infiltrations, 104 security personnel deaths in past 2 years: Govt

In the past two years, India witnessed 176 infiltration attempts in Jammu and Kashmir, while more than 320 security personnel were injured or killed in action, the Union ministry of home affairs told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Responding to Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey’s query, minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai said, “Attempts of terrorist infiltrations from across the border are mainly in Jammu and Kashmir, which has been affected by terrorist violence, sponsored and supported from across the border.”

Citing data, he said that 176 infiltration attempts were carried out in 2021 and 2022.

In 2020, 62 security personnel were killed in action, while 106 were injured in terrorist violence. In 2021, 42 security personnel lost their lives, while 117 were injured in similar incidents.

Providing a year-wise breakdown, there were 99 infiltration attempts in 2020 in which 19 terrorists were killed, and in 2021, 12 terrorists were killed while one was arrested in 77 infiltration attempts, Rai informed.

In February, Union home minister Amit Shah reviewed the security set up in Jammu and Kashmir and said that the security grid in the Union Territory needs to strengthen to ensure ‘zero’ terrorist infiltrations.