Srinagar, Oct 3: Outgoing General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai on Thursday announced that there are currently around 80 active terrorists in Kashmir, marking the lowest figure in many years.
He attributed the presence of militants to external forces—namely Pakistan—who keep the number at a critical threshold to maintain the ecosystem of terrorism in the region.
“The official number, as put out by the multi-agency center, stands at approximately 80. This is the lowest it has been in several years,” Lt Gen Ghai said during a press conference at the headquarters of the Army’s 15 Corps in Srinagar.
He said that when he took command last year, they were dealing with numbers surpassing the 100 mark.
“Now that figure has come down. Now obviously, that figure is sustained by the perpetrators at a certain number, which is considered critical to sustain the terrorism ecosystem. The security forces have endeavored to actively and aggressively bring these numbers down. And I think we have succeeded. Now the official figure is at 80,” the Corps Commander said.
He expressed optimism that the security forces’ efforts would continue to drive the numbers down.
“With the way things are progressing, I’m confident that we will see even fewer active terrorists. By mid-next year, we might be looking at a significantly reduced figure,” Lt Gen Ghai said.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining the current security posture to preserve stability in the region.
When asked about the possibility of reducing the Army’s presence in Kashmir given the improved situation, he was cautious in his response.
“In my opinion, there should be no dilution of the security grid at this stage. We’ve had a (few good years)—2024, 2023, and even 2022—but for lasting peace, this process must continue for several more years.
Whether it’s the counter-infiltration grid along the Line of Control or the counter-terrorism grid within the Valley, they need to be maintained. We are in a consolidation phase, and therefore, in my view, no dilution of the grid is recommended and I am not a proponent of that at this stage,” the Corps Commander said.
