Six years after Article 370 was revoked and Jammu and Kashmir was reorganized into two Union Territories, government data shows a significant drop in terror-related deaths across the region.
However, officials caution that while local militancy has declined, foreign threats continue to pose challenges.
According to figures from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, 1,230 people died in terror-related incidents between August 5, 2019 (when Articles 370 and 35A were scrapped), and August 4, 2025. This is a 33% drop compared to the six years before the constitutional change, when 1,845 people were killed.
Before 2019: 243 civilians, 475 security personnel, and 1,121 terrorists were killed.
After 2019: 189 civilians, 204 security personnel, 833 terrorists, and 4 unidentified individuals lost their lives.
The data also highlights that 2018 saw the highest deaths in the last decade with 452 fatalities. That number has since fallen significantly—134 deaths were reported in 2023 and 127 in 2024. So far in 2025, 71 people have been killed, including 28 civilians, 10 security personnel, and 32 terrorists.
Before the abrogation, yearly fatalities often exceeded 170. For example: 2014: 189 deaths, 2016: 267 deaths, 2017: 357 deaths
Security forces suffered heavy losses especially in 2016 and 2017, with 88 and 83 personnel killed respectively.
After the constitutional changes, the numbers dropped sharply. In the five months following August 2019, only 50 deaths were recorded, compared to 233 in the first seven months of that year. The following year, 2020, saw a brief rise with 321 deaths due to intensified counter-terror operations, but the trend declined again in subsequent years.
Civilian deaths have decreased overall, with just 12 reported in 2023—the lowest in over a decade. However, in 2024, 31 civilians died, and 28 have been killed so far in 2025. Notably, 26 of this year’s civilian casualties occurred in a single terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently told Parliament that the end of Article 370 weakened local terror networks. He said, “Terrorism in Kashmir no longer has local roots. It is now driven by foreign operatives, mostly from Pakistan. No local has joined a terrorist group in the last six months.”
He added that earlier, large crowds used to gather at terrorists’ funerals, but now they are buried where they are killed—often with no public reaction.
J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha echoed this in his previous Independence Day speech, stating, “Local recruitment has fallen drastically. Pakistan is sending in foreign terrorists, but strikes and stone pelting have become things of the past.”
He said that there is no top militant leadership left in the region, and growing public trust in democracy has frustrated those trying to destabilize the region.
Senior police officers in Srinagar also acknowledged that infiltration from across the border continues.
However, they credited intelligence-based operations and stronger ties with local communities for maintaining peace and control.
“The challenge now is dealing with foreign terrorists who try to sneak in. But our teams are alert and proactive,” said a senior officer on condition of anonymity.(KINS)
