NEW DELHI: On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasised the need to eradicate the terror ecosystem entirely and gave officials orders to bolster counter terrorism efforts in Jammu and Kashmir. In addition to recommending security agencies’ appropriate deployment in Jammu and Kashmir’s high-risk areas, Shah emphasised that all necessary protocols should be followed when carrying out counterterrorism operations. An official spokesperson said that the directives were issued during a high-level meeting that took place at the North Block in this city and during which the home minister examined the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting was attended by top intelligence and security agency officials, Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha.In order to eradicate the threat of terrorism, Shah reviewed the security agencies’ area domination plan for Jammu and Kashmir during the meeting. He directed officials to bolster counterterrorism operations and emphasised the necessity of totally eliminating the terror ecosystem while examining the security grid’s operation and the state of general security in Jammu and Kashmir. According to the spokesperson, the home minister also gave the security agencies advice on how best to deploy personnel in high-risk areas. He said that the government will continue to take a zero-tolerance stance against terrorism under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Two weeks had passed since terrorists ambushed five soldiers in the Poonch district, killing them. Outrage erupted when three civilians, ages 27 to 42, who had allegedly been picked up by the Army for questioning, were discovered dead the day following the terror attack on December 21. Following these incidents, Poonch was visited by Army Chief of Staff Pande and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The Jammu and Kashmir government had previously declared that legal action had been started and that compensation and jobs would be given to the families of the civilians who had died. During the review meeting, the home minister expressed gratitude to the Union Territory administration and security agencies for their efforts in reducing terror-related incidents, improving law and order, and preventing infiltration. Jammu and Kashmir has seen sporadic violence since the start of 2023. 54 people, including 28 terrorists and 19 security personnel, were killed in a series of encounters that occurred in the Jammu and Kashmir districts of Rajouri, Poonch, and Reasi last year, according to officials. The increase in violence has been attributed by the authorities to “desperate attempts from across the border” to resurrect terrorism in the area. In the Poonch district, there were 15 terrorists and five security personnel slain, while 31 people—ten terrorists and fourteen security personnel—were killed in Rajouri. In the district of Reasi, three terrorists were killed.
