Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir

This article is about the localized insurgency in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. For the conflict between India and Pakistan over the larger region of Kashmir, see Kashmir conflict.

The insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, also known as the Kashmir insurgency, is an ongoing separatist militant insurgency against the Indian administration in Jammu and Kashmir,^[14][36] a territory constituting the southwestern portion of the larger geographical region of Kashmir, which has been the subject of a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947.^[37][38]

Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
Part of the Kashmir conflict
CIA map of the Kashmir region
Date	13 July 1989^[1] – present (34 years, 6 months and 2 days)
Location	Jammu and Kashmir
Status	Ongoing
Parties
India Indian Armed Forces Indian Army Central Armed Police Force Jammu and Kashmir Police Political Parties: All Parties Hurriyat Conference Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir Armed groups: Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front People’s Anti-Fascist Front Lashkar-e-Taiba Jaish-e-Mohammed United Jihad Council Hizbul Mujahideen Dukhtaran-e-Millat^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] Harkat-ul-Mujahideen Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami Al-Badr Other separatist Movements & Insurgent militant groups^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11] Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent^[12] Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind Supported by:  Pakistan^[13]^[14]^[15]^[16] Al-Qaeda^[17] D-Company^[18] Islamic State Islamic State – Khorasan Province^[19] Islamic State Hind Province^[20] Islamic State J&K^[21]
Lead figures
Droupadi Murmu (President) Narendra Modi (Prime Minister) Rajnath Singh (Minister of Defence) General Anil Chauhan (CDS General) Manoj Pande (COAS General) Vivek Ram Chaudhari (CAS General) Syed Ali Shah Geelani (until 2020) Masarat Alam Bhat (2021–present)^[22] Mohammad Abbas Ansari (until 2022) Amanullah Khan (until 2016) Hafiz Saeed Maulana Azhar Ilyas Kashmiri † Zakir Rashid Bhat † Sayeed Salahudeen Burhan Wani † Asiya Andrabi Fazlur Rehman Khalil Farooq Kashmiri Arfeen Bhai Bakht Zameen Yasir Ahmed  (POW) Islamic State-aligned Dawood Ahmed Sofi †^[21]
Number
Total ~ 343,000-700,000^[23]^[24]^[25] ^[26] (Nov 2019, including soldier posted at international border (LoC)) Indian Army: 168,000^[24] CAPFs: 160,000^[24] Jammu and Kashmir Police: (Unknown) Unknown
Casualties and losses
~6,000 - 7,000 security forces personnel killed^[27]^[28]^[29]^[30] 26,000+ militants killed^[31]^[32] 3,000+ captured^[33] 4,500+ surrendered^[33]
20,000+ civilian deaths^[34]^[35]

Jammu and Kashmir, long a breeding ground of separatist ambitions,^[39] has experienced the insurgency since 1989.^[40][36] Although the failure of Indian governance and democracy lay at the root of the initial disaffection, Pakistan played an important role in converting the latter into a fully-developed armed insurgency.^[14][15] Some insurgent groups in Kashmir support complete independence, whereas others seek the region's accession to Pakistan.^[41][15]

More explicitly, the roots of the insurgency are tied to a dispute over local autonomy.^[42] Democratic development was limited in Kashmir until the late 1970s, and by 1988, many of the democratic reforms provided by the Indian government had been reversed and non-violent channels for expressing discontent were limited, which caused a dramatic increase in support for insurgents advocating violent secession from India.^[42] In 1987, a disputed election^[43] held in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir created a catalyst for the insurgency when it resulted in some of the state's legislative assembly members forming armed insurgent groups.^[44][45][46] In July 1988, a series of demonstrations, strikes, and attacks on the Indian government effectively marked the beginning of the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, which escalated into the most severe security issue in India during the 1990s.

Pakistan, with whom India has fought three major wars over the Muslim-majority region, has officially claimed to be giving only its "moral and diplomatic" support to the separatist movement.^[47] The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence has been accused by both India and the international community of supporting and supplying arms as well as providing training to "mujahideen" militants^[48][49] in Jammu and Kashmir.^[50][49][51] In 2015, a former President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, admitted that the Pakistani state had supported and trained insurgent groups in Kashmir throughout the 1990s.^[52] Several new militant groups with radical Islamist views emerged during this time and changed the ideological emphasis of the movement from that of plain separatism to Islamic fundamentalism. This occurred partly due to the influence of a large number of Muslim jihadist militants who began to enter the Indian-administered Kashmir Valley through Pakistani-controlled territory across the Line of Control following the end of the Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s.^[47] India has repeatedly called on Pakistan to end its alleged "cross-border terrorism" in the region.^[47]

The conflict between militants and Indian security forces in Kashmir has led to a large number of casualties;^[53] many civilians have also died as a result of being targeted by various armed militant groups.^[54] According to government data, around 41,000 people—consisting of 14,000 civilians, 5,000 security personnel and 22,000 militants—have died because of the insurgency as of March 2017^[update], with most deaths happening in the 1990s and early 2000s.^[55] Non-governmental organisations have claimed a higher death toll. The insurgency has also forced the large-scale migration of non-Muslim minority Kashmiri Hindus out of the Kashmir Valley.^[56] Since the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, the Indian military has intensified its counter-insurgency operations in the region.

History

See also: History of Kashmir

1947–1982

See also: Partition of India and First Kashmir War

After independence from colonial rule India and Pakistan were engaged in a war over the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. At the end of the war India controlled the southern portion of the princely state.^[57] While there were sporadic periods of violence there was no organised insurgency movement.^[58]

During this period legislative elections in the state of Jammu and Kashmir were first held in 1951 and Sheikh Abdullah's secular party stood unopposed. He was an instrumental member in the accession of the state to India.^[59][60]

However, Sheikh Abdullah would fall in and out of favour with the central government and would often be dismissed only to be re-appointed later on.^{[citation needed]} This was a time of political instability and power struggle in Jammu and Kashmir, and it went through several periods of president's rule by the Federal Government.^[46]

1982–2004

 

The trend in total yearly civilian and security forces fatalities from insurgency-related violence over 25 years from 1988 to 2013.^[61]

After Sheikh Abdullah's death, his son Farooq Abdullah took over as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Farooq Abdullah eventually fell out of favour with the Central Government and the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who had his government toppled with the help of his brother-in-law G. M. Shah. GM Shah was the chief minister during the 1986 Anantnag Riots until he was removed and replaced by Farooq Abdullah.^[62] A year later, Abdullah reached an accord with the new Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and announced an alliance with the Indian National Congress for the elections of 1987. The elections were allegedly rigged in favour of Abdullah.^[44][46]

Most commentators state that this led to the rise of an armed insurgency movement composed, in part, of those who unfairly lost the elections. Pakistan supplied these groups with logistical support, arms, recruits and training.^{[63][44][46][64][65]}

In the second half of 1989 the alleged assassinations of the Indian spies and political collaborators by the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front was intensified. Over six months more than a hundred officials were killed to paralyse government's administrative and intelligence apparatus. The daughter of then interior affairs minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was kidnapped in December and four militants had to be released for her release. This event led to mass celebrations all over the valley. Farooq Abdullah resigned in January after the appointment of Jagmohan Malhotra as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. Subsequently, J&K was placed under Governor's Rule under Article 92 of state constitution.^[66]

Under JKLF's leadership on 21–23 January large scale protests were organised in the Kashmir Valley. As a response to this largely explosive situation paramilitary units of BSF and CRPF were called. These units were used by the government to combat Maoist insurgency and the North-Eastern insurgency. The challenge to them in this situation was not posed by armed insurgents but by the stone pelters. Their inexperience caused at least 50 casualties in Gawkadal massacre. In this incident the underground militant movement was transformed into a mass struggle. To curb the situation AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) was imposed on Kashmir in September 1990 to suppress the insurgency by giving armed forces the powers to kill and arrest without warrant to maintain public order. During this time the dominant tactic involved killing of a prominent figure in a public gathering to push forces into action and the public prevented them from capturing these insurgents. This sprouting of sympathisers in Kashmir led to the hard-line approach of Indian army.^[67]

With JKLF at forefront large number of militant groups like Allah Tigers, People's League and Hizb-i-Islamia sprung up. Weapons were smuggled on a large scale from Pakistan. In Kashmir JKLF operated under the leadership of Ashfaq Majid Wani, Yasin Bhat, Hamid Shiekh and Javed Mir. To counter this growing pro-Pakistani sentiment in Kashmir, Indian media associated it exclusively with Pakistan.^[68]

JKLF used distinctly Islamic themes to mobilise crowds and justify their use of violence. They sought to establish an Islamic democratic state where the rights of minorities would be protected according to Quran and Sunna and economy would be organised on the principles of Islamic socialism.^[69]

The Indian army has conducted various operations to control and eliminate insurgency in the region such as Operation Sarp Vinash,^[70][71] in which a multi-battalion offensive was launched against militants from groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami, al-Badr and Jaish-e-Mohammed who had been constructing shelters in the Pir Panjal region of Jammu and Kashmir over several years.^[72] The subsequent operations led to the death of over 60 militants^[73] and uncovered the largest network of militant hideouts in the history of insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir covering 100 square kilometers.^{[citation needed]}

Cultural changes

Cinema houses were banned by some militant groups.^[74][75][76] Many militant organisations like Al baqr, People's league, Wahdat-e-Islam and Allah Tigers imposed restrictions like banning cigarettes, restrictions on Kashmiri girls.^[77][tone]

2004–11

Main article: 2010 Kashmir unrest

Beginning in 2004 Pakistan began to end its support for insurgents in Kashmir.^[78] This happened because militant groups linked to Kashmir twice tried to assassinate Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf.^[65] His successor, Asif Ali Zardari has continued the policy, calling insurgents in Kashmir "terrorists",^[79] although it is unclear if Pakistan's intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, thought to be the agency aiding and controlling the insurgency^[79][80][81] is following Pakistan's commitment to end support for the insurgency in Kashmir.^[79] Despite the change in the nature of the insurgency from a phenomenon supported by external forces to a primarily domestic-driven movement^{[57][79][82][83][84]} the Indian government has continued to send large numbers of troops to the Indian border.^[82][84][85] There have been widespread protests against the Indian army presence in Kashmir.^[82]

Once the most formidable face of Kashmir militancy, Hizbul Mujahideen is slowly fading away as its remaining commanders and cadres are being taken out on a regular interval by security forces.^[86] Some minor incidents of grenade throwing and sniper firing at security forces notwithstanding, the situation is under control and more or less peaceful. A record number of tourists including Amarnath pilgrims visited Kashmir during 2012. On 3 August 2012, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba militant commander, Abu Hanzulah involved in various attacks on civilians and security forces was killed in an encounter with security forces in a village in Kupwara district of north Kashmir.^[87]

2012–present

Main articles: 2013 India–Pakistan border skirmishes, 2014–15 India–Pakistan border skirmishes, and 2016–17 Kashmir unrest

According to Indian Army data quoted by Reuters, at least 70 young Kashmiris joined the insurgency in 2014, army records showed, with most joining the terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attacks.^[88] Two of the new recruits have doctorates and eight were post graduates, the army data showed.^[89] According to BBC, despite a Pakistani ban on militant activity in Kashmir in 2006, its militants continue to attempt infiltration into Indian-administered Kashmir. These attempts were curtailed however when people living along the Line of Control which divides Indian and Pakistani Kashmir started to hold public protests against the activities of the insurgent groups.^[90]

In 2016, violence erupted in the aftermath of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani by security forces. Since then, militants belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammed group carried out the 2016 Uri attack and the 2018 Sunjuwan attack. In February 2019, the Pulwama attack occurred, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed by a Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber.

In August 2019, the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked, following which the Indian Army intensified its counter-insurgency operations. In June 2020, Doda district was declared militancy free while Tral was declared free from Hizbul Mujahideen militants.^[91][92] In July, a Kashmir police tweet from an official twitter handle said "no resident of #Srinagar district in terrorist ranks now".^[93][94][95] On 27 June 2021, a day after the successful completion of discussions between the Indian Prime Minister and Jammu and Kashmir political leaders, a drone based attack was reported at the technical area of Jammu Airport which is under the control of the IAF.^[96] In the first three months of 2022, there was a 100% increase in the number of Indian soldiers killed by Kashmiri militants compared to the same period in 2021.^[97]

Motivations behind the insurgency

Rigging of 1987 Assembly elections

Further information: 1987 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election

Following the rise of Islamisation in the Kashmir valley, during the 1987 state elections, various Islamic anti-establishment groups including Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir were organised under a single banner named Muslim United Front (MUF), that is largely current Hurriyat. MUF's election manifesto stressed the need for a solution to all outstanding issues according to Simla Agreement, work for Islamic unity and against political interference from the centre. Their slogan was wanting the law of the Quran in the Assembly.^[98] But the MUF won only four seats, even though it had polled 31% votes in the election. However, the elections were widely believed to be rigged, changing the course of politics in the state. The insurgency was sparked by the apparent rigging of state elections in 1987.^[44][46][99]

Human rights abuses

Main article: Human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir

Indian troops entered the valley to quell the insurgency after it began.^[100] Some analysts have suggested that the number of Indian troops in Jammu and Kashmir is close to 600,000 although estimates vary and the government refuses to release official figures.^[25] The troops have been accused and held accountable for several humanitarian abuses^[84] and have engaged in mass extrajudicial killings, torture, rape and sexual abuse.^[85]

Indian security forces have been implicated in many reports for enforced disappearances of thousands of Kashmiris whereas the security forces deny having their information and/or custody. This is often in association with torture or extrajudicial killing. Human right activists estimate the number of disappeared to be over eight thousand, last seen in government detention.^[101][102] The disappeared are believed to be dumped in thousands of mass graves across Kashmir.^{[103][104][105][106][107]} A State Human Rights Commission inquiry in 2011, has confirmed there are thousands of bullet-ridden bodies buried in unmarked graves in Jammu and Kashmir. Of the 2730 bodies uncovered in 4 of the 14 districts, 574 bodies were identified as missing locals in contrast to the Indian governments insistence that all the graves belong to foreign militants.^[108][109]

Military forces in Jammu and Kashmir operate under impunity and emergency powers granted to them by the central government. These powers allow the military to curtail civil liberties, creating further support for the insurgency.^[110][111]

The insurgents have also abused human rights, driving away Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir Valley, an action that has been called ethnic cleansing^[112] The government's inability to protect the people from both its own troops and the insurgency has further eroded support for the government.^[113]

Amnesty International accused security forces of exploiting the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) that enables them to "hold prisoners without trial". The group argues that the law, which allows security to detain individuals for as many as two years "without presenting charges, violating prisoners' human rights".^[114] The Army sources maintain that "any move to revoke AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir would be detrimental to the security of the Valley and would provide a boost to the terrorists."^[115]

Former Indian Army Chief General V. K. Singh rejected the accusations that the action was not taken in the cases of human rights violations by Army personnel. On 24 October 2010, he has said that 104 Army personnel had been punished in Jammu and Kashmir in this regard, including 39 officers. He also said that 95% of the allegations of human rights abuses against Indian Army were proved to be false, of which he remarked, had apparently been made with the "ulterior motive of maligning the armed forces".^[116] However, according to Human Rights Watch, the military courts in India, in general, were proved to be incompetent to deal with cases of serious human rights abuses and were responsible in covering up evidence and protecting the involved officers.^[117] Amnesty International in its report in 2015, titled "Denied"-Failures in Accountability in Jammu and Kashmir, says, "...with respect to investigations, an inquiry that is conducted by the same authority accused of the crime raises serious questions about the independence and impartiality of those proceedings", adding that according to the international law, an independent authority that is not involved in the alleged violations has to investigate such crimes.^[118]

These human rights violations are said to have contributed to the rise of resistance in Kashmir.^[119][120]

ISI's role

The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence has encouraged and aided the Kashmir independence movement through an insurgency^{[79][80][81][121]} due to its dispute on the legitimacy of Indian rule in Kashmir, with the insurgency as an easy way to keep Indian troops distracted and cause international condemnation of India.^[57] Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf in Oct 2014 said during TV interview, "We have source (in Kashmir) besides the (Pakistan) army...People in Kashmir are fighting against (India). We just need to incite them."^[122]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in their first ever open acknowledgement in 2011 in US Court, said that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) sponsors and oversees separatist militant groups in Kashmir.^{[123][124][125][126]}

In 2019, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan publicly discouraged Pakistani people from going to Kashmir to do a jihad. People who went to Kashmir will do an "injustice to the Kashmiri people".^[127][128] Most of the Pakistani militants who had crossed the border over the years and were caught by the Indian security forces were found to belong to the Punjab province of Pakistan.^[128]

Mujahideen influence

After the Mujahideen victory in the Soviet–Afghan War, Mujahideen militants, under the Operation Tupac with the aid of Pakistan, slowly infiltrated Kashmir with the goal of spreading a radical Islamist ideology to wage Jihad against India in the region.^[44]

Religion

The majority of the people of Jammu and Kashmir practise Islam. Indian-American journalist Asra Nomani states that while India itself is a secular state, Muslims are politically, culturally and economically marginalised when compared to Hindus in India as a whole.^[129] The government's decision to transfer 99 acres of forest land near the Amarnath Temple in Kashmir division to a Hindu organisation (for setting up temporary shelters and facilities for Hindu pilgrims) solidified this feeling and led to one of the largest protest rallies in Jammu and Kashmir.^[130][131]

Other motivations

Psychological

Psychologist Waheeda Khan, explaining the rebellious nature of the Kashmiris, says that because of the tense situations in the valley from the 1990s, the generation gap between parents and young generations has increased. Young generations tend to blame their parents for failing to do anything about the political situation. So they start experimenting with their own aggressive ways to show their curbed feelings and would go against any authority. A prominent psychiatrist of the valley, Margoob, described that children/teenagers are much more vulnerable to passionate actions and reactions, since the young minds are yet to completely develop psychological mechanisms. When they assume that they are "pushed against the wall", they get controlled by the emotions without bothering about the consequences. Also young people easily identify themselves with the "group" rather than with their individual identities. It leads to psychological distress which causes antisocial behaviour and aggressive attitude. Often, this situation gets worsened by the availability of weapons and people becoming familiar to violence after having exposed to conflict for so long. Waheeda Khan remarks, the major concern is that generations of children who are experiencing long-term violence in their lives, may reach adulthood perceiving that violence is a fair means of solving ethnic, religious, or political differences.^[132]

Economic

High unemployment and lack of economic opportunities in Kashmir are also said to have intensified the struggle.^{[133][134][135]}

Stone pelting

Main article: Stone Pelting in Kashmir

Since the 2008 protests and 2010 unrest, the turmoil has taken a new dimension when people, particularly youngsters of the Kashmir valley have started pelting stones on security forces to express their aggression and protest for the loss of freedom. In turn they get attacked by the armed personnel with pellets, rubber bullets, sling shots and tear gas shells. This leads to eye-injuries and several other kind of injuries to many people. Security forces also face injuries, and sometimes get beaten up during these events. According to Waheeda Khan, most of the 'stone-pelters' are school and college going students. Large number of these people get arrested during these events for allegedly resorting to stone pelting, after which some of them are also tortured. According to political activist Mannan Bukhari, Kashmiris made stone, an easily accessible and defenseless weapon, their weapon of choice for protest.^[136][137]

Kashmiri senior journalist Parvaiz Bukhari remarked:^[137][138]

The summer of 2010 witnessed a convulsion in the world's most militarized zone, the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir, an unprecedented and deadly civil unrest that is beginning to change a few things on the ground. [...] Little known and relatively anonymous resistance activists emerged, organizing an unarmed agitation more fierce than the armed rebellion against Indian rule two decades earlier. And apparently aware of the post 9/11 world, young Kashmiris, children of the conflict, made stones and rocks a weapon of choice against government armed forces, side-stepping the tag of a terrorist movement linked with Pakistan. The unrest represents a conscious transition to an unarmed mass movement, one that poses a moral challenge to New Delhi's military domination over the region.

Human rights abuses by militants and army

Further information: Human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir and Rape in Kashmir conflict § Rape by militants

See also: Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus

Islamic separatist militants are accused of violence against the Kashmir populace.^{[139][140][141]} On the other hand, Indian army has also allegedly committed serious crimes like using pellet guns, torture, killing and rape etc., although many court cases have happened on that. The militants have kidnapped and killed many civil servants and suspected informers. Tens of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits have been forced to emigrate as a result of continued violence by the majority. Estimates of the displaced vary from 170,000 to 700,000. Thousands of Kashmiri Pandits had to move to Jammu because of targeted attacks by Islamic radical organizations.^[142]

Notable insurgences

• Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus
• July and August 1989 – 3 CRPF personnel and politician Mohd. Yusuf Halwai of NC/F were killed.^[143]
• 1989 kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed daughter of the then Home Minister of India Mufti Sayeed.
• Gawkadal massacre- Central Reserve Police Force opened fire on a group of Kashmiri protestors, killing 50.^[144]
• Sopore massacre- Killing of 55 Kashmiri civilians by Border security force(BSF)
• Bijbehara massacre- Massacre of 51 protestors by BSF.
• 1995 kidnapping of western tourists in Jammu and Kashmir – Six foreign trekkers from Anantnag district were kidnapped by Al Faran. One was beheaded later, one escaped, and the other four remain missing, presumably killed.
• 1997 Sangrampora massacre – On 22 March 1997, seven Kashmiri Pandits were killed in Sangrampora village in the Budgam district.^[145]
• Wandhama massacre – In January 1998, 24 Kashmiri Pandits living in the village of Wandhama were massacred by Pakistani militants. According to the testimony of one of the survivors, the militants dressed themselves as officers of the Indian Army, entered their houses and then started firing blindly. The incident was significant because it coincided with former US president Bill Clinton's visit to India and New Delhi highlighted the massacre to prove Pakistan-supported militancy in Kashmir .^[146]
• 1998 Prankote massacre – 26 Hindu villagers of Udhampur district were killed by militants.
• 1998 Champanari massacre – 25 Hindu villagers killed on 19 June 1998 by Islamic militants.
• 2000 Amarnath pilgrimage massacre – 30 Hindu pilgrims massacred by militants.
• Chittisinghpura massacre – 36 Sikhs massacred by LeT militants though some allegations on Indian security forces exist too. (unclear)
• 2001 Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly bombing – On 1 October 2001, a bombing at the Legislative Assembly in Srinagar killed 38.^[147]
• 2002 Raghunath temple attacks – First attack occurred on 30 March 2002 when two suicide bombers attacked the temple. Eleven persons including three security forces personnel were killed and 20 were injured. In second attack, the fidayeen suicide squad attacked the temple second time on 24 November 2002 when two suicide bombers stormed the temple and killed fourteen devotees and injured 45 others.
• 2002 Qasim Nagar massacre – On 13 July 2002, armed militants believed to be a part of the Lashkar-e-Toiba threw hand grenades at the Qasim Nagar market in Srinagar and then fired on civilians standing nearby killing 27 and injuring many more.^[148]
• 2003 Nadimarg Massacre – 24 Hindus killed in Nadimarg, Kashmir on 23 March 2003 by Lashkar-e-Taiba militants.
• 20 July 2005 Srinagar bombing – A car bomb exploded near an armoured Indian Army vehicle in the famous Church Lane area in Srinagar killing 4 Indian Army personnel, one civilian and the suicide bomber. Militant group Hizbul Mujahideen, claimed responsibility for the attack.^[149]
• Budshah Chowk attack – A militant attack on 29 July 2005 at Srinigar's city centre, Budshah Chowk, killed 2 and left more than 17 people injured. Most of those injured were media journalists.^[150]
• Assassination of Ghulam Nabi Lone – On 18 October 2005, suspected Kashmiri militants killed Jammu and Kashmir's then education minister Ghulam Nabi Lone. Militant group called Al Mansurin claimed responsibility for the attack.^[151] Abdul Ghani Lone, a prominent All Party Hurriyat Conference leader, was assassinated by unidentified gunmen during a memorial rally in Srinagar. The assassination resulted in wide-scale demonstrations against the Indian forces for failing to provide enough security cover for Lone.^[148]
• 2006 Doda massacre – On 3 May 2006, militants massacred 35 Hindus in Doda and Udhampur districts in Jammu and Kashmir.^[152]
• On 12 June 2006, one person was killed and 31 were wounded when militants hurled three grenades on Vaishnodevi shrine-bound buses at the general bus stand.^[153]
• 2014 Kashmir Valley attacks – There were four attacks on 5 December 2014 on army, police and civilians resulted in 21 deaths and several injured. Their motive was to disrupt the ongoing assembly elections.^[154]
• 2016 Uri attack – Four armed militants sneaked into an army camp and lobbed grenades onto tents causing massive fire culminating in the death of 19 military personnel.
• 2018 Sunjuwan attack - On 10 February 2018, Jaish-e-Mohammad militants attacked Sunjuwan Army Camp in Jammu and Kashmir. 6 Indian army soldiers, 4 militants, 1 civilian died and 11 were injured.
• 2019 Pulwama attack - On 14 February 2019, Jaish-e-Mohammad militants attacked a convoy of CRPF men killing 46 personnel and injuring 20.

Tactics

India

Over time the Indian government has increasingly relied on military presence to control the insurgency.^[84] The military has allegedly committed human rights violations.^[155] The government would often dissolve assemblies, arrest elected politicians and impose president's rule. The government also rigged elections in 1987.^[46] In recent times there have been signs that the government is taking local elections more seriously.^[156] The government has also funneled development aid to Kashmir and Kashmir has now become the biggest per capita receiver of Federal aid.^[157]

Pakistan

The Pakistani central government originally supported, trained and armed the insurgency in Kashmir,^{[123][124][125][126][158]} sometimes known as "ultras" (extremists),^[159][160] however after groups linked to the Kashmiri insurgency twice attempted to assassinate president Pervez Musharraf, Musharraf decided to end support for such groups.^[65] His successor, Asif Ali Zardari has continued the policy, calling insurgents in Kashmir "terrorists".^[79]

But the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence hasn't followed the lead of the government and has continued its support for insurgent groups in Kashmir^[79][80][81] In 2008, 541 people died due to insurgency, The Economist called it the lowest in two decades. The report cited a reduction in the support for militants by Pakistan and war fatigue among the Kashmiris as the reasons for the reduction in casualty figures.^[84]

Insurgents

Since around 2000, the insurgency has become far less violent and has instead taken on the form of protests and marches.^[130] Certain groups have also chosen to lay down their arms and look for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.^[161]

Groups

The different insurgent groups have different aims in Kashmir. Some want complete independence from both India and Pakistan, others want unification with Pakistan and still others just want greater autonomy from the Indian government.^[162]

A 2010 survey found that 43% of the people in J&K and 44% of the people in AJK would favour complete independence from both India and Pakistan, with support for the independence movement unevenly distributed across the region.^[163][164]

Militant groups

Over the last two years, the militant group, Lashkar-e-Toiba has split into two factions: Al Mansurin and Al Nasirin. Another new group reported to have emerged is the "Save Kashmir Movement". Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (formerly known as Harkat-ul-Ansar) and Lashkar-e-Toiba are believed to be operating from Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir and Muridke, Pakistan respectively.^{[citation needed]}

Other less well known groups are the Freedom Force and Farzandan-e-Milat. A smaller group, Al-Badr, has been active in Kashmir for many years and is still believed to be functioning. All Parties Hurriyat Conference, an organisation that uses moderate means to press for the rights of the Kashmiris, is often considered as the mediator between New Delhi and insurgent groups.^{[citation needed]}

Al-Qaeda

It is unclear if Al Qaeda has a presence in Jammu and Kashmir. Donald Rumsfeld suggested that they were active^[165] and in 2002 the SAS hunted for Osama bin Laden in Jammu and Kashmir.^[166] Al Qaeda claims that it has established a base in Jammu and Kashmir.^[167] However, there has been no evidence for any of these assertions.^{[165][166][167]} The Indian army also claims that there is no evidence of Al Qaeda presence in Jammu and Kashmir.^[168] Al Qaeda has established bases in Pakistani administered Kashmir and some, including Robert Gates have suggested that they have helped to plan attacks in India.^{[168][169][170]}

Casualties

According to government data, around 41,000 people—consisting of 14,000 civilians, 5,000 security personnel and 22,000 militants—have died because of the insurgency as of March 2017^[update] in both Kashmir Valley and Jammu region. The overwhelming majority of these deaths happened in the 1990s and early 2000s, and there has been a steady decline in violence and sharp drop in the number of deaths 2004 onwards.^[55] A 2006 report by Human Rights Watch claimed that at least 20,000 civilians had died in the conflict by then.^[171] The territory witnessed about 69,820 militancy-related incidents till March 2017.^[55] Among the militants killed between 1989 and 2002, about 3,000 were from outside Jammu and Kashmir (mostly from Pakistan and some Afghans). Indian forces engaged in counter insurgency operations captured around 40,000 firearms, 150,000 explosive devices, and over 6 million rounds of assorted ammunition during this period.^[172] Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society posits a figure of 70,000 deaths, most of them civilians.^[173] The pro-Pakistan Huriyat group has claimed a higher death toll of 80,000 including civilians, security forces and militants.^[174] The districts with the most incidents of killing were Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Doda, Anantnag and Pulwama.^[175]

Casualties every year in the Jammu and Kahmir insurgency (since 2007)^[175]

Year	Incidents of Killing	Civilians	Security Forces	Militants	Total
2007	427	127	119	498	744
2008	261	71	85	382	538
2009	208	53	73	247	373
2010	189	34	69	258	361
2011	119	33	31	117	181
2012	70	19	18	84	121
2013	84	19	53	100	172
2014	91	28	47	114	189
2015	86	19	41	115	175
2016	112	14	88	165	267
2017	163	54	83	220	357
2018	206	86	95	271	452
2019	135	42	78	163	283
2020	140	33	56	232	321
2021	153	36	45	193	274
2022	151	30	30	193	253

Surrender and rehabilitation policy

Surrendering in Jammu and Kashmir has been institutionalized over the years.^{[176][177][178]} The 1990s saw some surrender policies, while in the 2000s, there was a policy for militants belonging to Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir and another for Pakistan administered territory.^[176][177] The first surrender policy for militants in Kashmir was launched on 15 August 1995. It was a copy of the policies already there for Naxalites.^[179]

Appeals to surrender

Appeals to surrender are made by security forces to militants at encounter sites as well.^[180] Some attempts are successful,^[180][181] while others are not.^[182] Mothers and other family members have made videos urging their child turned militant to surrender to the security forces. Sometimes the family member is brought to the encounter site and urged to talk to their children through loudspeakers to surrender.^{[183][176][184]}

See also

• 2018 Sunjuwan attack
• List of massacres in Jammu and Kashmir
• All Parties Hurriyat Conference
• Pakistan and state-sponsored terrorism
• Partition of India
• Ikhwan (Kashmir)

References

1. Specified, Not. "Chronicle of Important events/date in J&K's political history". www.jammu-kashmir.com. from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
2. "DeM cadres lead women congregations across Kashmir". Greater Kashmir. 3 August 2016. from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
3. Gul, Khalid (5 August 2016). "Pro-freedom rallies in Pampore, Bijbehara". Greater Kashmir. from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
4. . Kashmir Reader. 2 August 2016. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
5. "This is people's Movement, be United: DeM". 22 July 2016. from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
6. Until My Freedom Has Come: The New Intifada in Kashmir. Penguin Books India. 2011. ISBN 9780143416470. from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
7. Margolis, Eric (2004). War at the Top of the World: The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir and Tibet. Routledge. p. 81. ISBN 9781135955595. from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
8. Bose, Sumantra (2009). Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace. Harvard University Press. p. 107. ISBN 9780674028555. from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
9. "insurgency" (noun), Merriam-Webster Unabridged, from the original on 20 January 2020, retrieved 27 November 2019 Quote: "The quality or state of being insurgent; specifically : a condition of revolt against a recognized government that does not reach the proportions of an organized revolutionary government and is not recognized as belligerency" (subscription required)
10. insurgency, n, Oxford English Dictionary, from the original on 20 January 2020, retrieved 27 November 2019 Quote: "The quality or state of being insurgent; the tendency to rise in revolt; = insurgence n. = The action of rising against authority; a rising, revolt." (subscription required)
11. Insurgency, Encyclopedia Britannica, from the original on 27 November 2019, retrieved 27 November 2019 Quote: "Insurgency, term historically restricted to rebellious acts that did not reach the proportions of an organized revolution. It has subsequently been applied to any such armed uprising, typically guerrilla in character, against the recognized government of a state or country." (subscription required)"
12. "Al Qaeda In the Indian Subcontinent Released Video Titled 'Kashmir is our' Al Qaeda again target india". 12 October 2021. from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
13. Elizabeth Van Wie Davis; Rouben Azizian (2007). Islam, Oil, and Geopolitics: Central Asia After September 11. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Incorporated. p. 281. ISBN 978-0-7425-4128-3. from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2021. The trouble was that elements of Pakistan ' s government were involved with Islamist extremists . They had protected and supported not only the Taliban but also insurgents crossing the Line of Control into Indian - held Kashmir
14. Kazi, Seema (2017), "Law, Gender and Governance in Kashmir", in Chitralekha Zutshi (ed.), Kashmir: History, Politics, Representation, Cambridge University Press, pp. 150–171, 153, ISBN 978-1-108-22612-7, from the original on 20 April 2023, retrieved 27 November 2019
15. Kapur, S. Paul (2017), Jihad as Grand Strategy: Islamist Militancy, National Security, and the Pakistani State, Oxford University Press, pp. 84–, ISBN 978-0-19-976852-3, from the original on 20 April 2023, retrieved 27 November 2019
16. • Swami, Praveen (2007). India, Pakistan and the Secret Jihad. New York, NY 10016, USA: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-40459-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
    • "Al Qaeda thriving in Kashmir in support of Pakistani intelligence against india reports Al Qaeda camps in azad kashmir Pakistan". Christian Science Monitor. 2 July 2002. from the original on 12 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
17. "Al-Qaeda calls for liberation of Kashmir". YouTube. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
18. "Dawood is a terrorist, has 'strategic alliance' with ISI, says US". The Times of India. from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
19. "ISIS announces new India and Pakistan provinces, casually breaking up Khorasan". The Defense Post. 15 May 2019. from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
20. "Islamic State claims it has established province in India, calls it Wilayah of Hind: Report". from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
21. "Islamic State J-K chief among 4 terrorists killed in Kashmir". Rediff.com. 22 June 2018. from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
22. News Desk (7 September 2021). "Masarat Alam is new chairman of Hurriyat Conference | Free Press Kashmir". freepresskashmir.news. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
23. "India imposes Kashmir lockdown, puts leaders 'under house arrest'". from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
24. Snehesh Alex Philip, What Imran Khan says is 9 lakh soldiers in Kashmir is actually 3.43 lakh only 2 September 2021 at the Wayback Machine, The Print, 12 November 2019.
25. , The Times, 18 November 2004, archived from the original on 23 May 2011: "Military experts estimate that India has about 250,000 troops in the region."
26. . Stimson Center. Archived from the original on 30 June 2006.: "Some reports estimate that India deploys approximately 400,000 combined army and paramilitary forces in Kashmir, most of which are stationed in the interior, 80,000 of which are deployed along the LoC."
27. "Ultras kill 16725+ civilians in 24 yrs in J&K". Kashmir Times. 2 March 2014. from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
28. "696 Jawans, civilians killed in J&K between 2014 to 2020". from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
29. "Datasheet - Jammu & Kashmir". from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
30. "Datasheet-terrorist-attack-reference-data". from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
31. "Fatalities in Jammu and Kashmir: 1990-2017". South Asia Terrorism Portal. from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
32. "Terrorism Assessment, Jammu & Kashmir". from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
33. "Everyone Lives in Fear": Patterns of Impunity in Jammu and Kashmir, Volume 18. Human Rights Watch. 2006.
34. . Uppsala Conflict Data Program. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
35. "40,000 people killed in Kashmir: India". The Express Tribune. from the original on 27 February 2017.
36. Slater, Joanna (28 March 2019), "From scholars into militants: Educated Kashmiri youths are joining an anti-India insurgency", The Washington Post, from the original on 27 November 2019, retrieved 27 November 2019
37. (a) Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent, Encyclopaedia Britannica, from the original on 13 August 2019, retrieved 15 August 2019 (subscription required);
    (b) "Kashmir", Encyclopedia Americana, Scholastic Library Publishing, 2006, p. 328, ISBN 978-0-7172-0139-6, from the original on 17 January 2023, retrieved 27 November 2019 C. E Bosworth, University of Manchester
38. Jan·Osma鈔czyk, Edmund; Osmańczyk, Edmund Jan (2003), Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements: G to M, Taylor & Francis, pp. 1191–, ISBN 978-0-415-93922-5, from the original on 17 January 2023, retrieved 27 November 2019 Quote: "Jammu and Kashmir: Territory in northwestern India, subject to a dispute between India and Pakistan. It has borders with Pakistan and China."
39. The Editorial Board (6 August 2019), "India Tempts Fate in Kashmir, 'The Most Dangerous Place in the World'", The New York Times, from the original on 19 November 2022, retrieved 27 November 2019 Quote: "The Himalayan territory of Kashmir has long been the central source of friction between India and Pakistan and a hotbed of separatist aspirations."
40. Ratcliffe, Rebecca (4 August 2019), "Heightened security and anxiety in Kashmir amid fears of unrest", Guardian, from the original on 12 December 2019, retrieved 27 November 2019 Quote: "Kashmir is claimed by India and Pakistan in full and ruled in part by both. An insurgency on the Indian-administered side has been ongoing for three decades, and tens of thousands of people have been killed."
41. Conflict Encyclopedia – India: Kashmir 1 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Uppsala Conflict Data Program, 29 May 1977, retrieved 2013-05-29,
42. Uppsala Conflict Data Program Conflict Encyclopedia, Conflict Summary, Conflict name: India: Kashmir, "Roots of Conflict and the emergence of Kashmir Insurgents", viewed 2013-05-29, http://www.ucdp.uu.se/gpdatabase/gpcountry.php?id=74&regionSelect=6-Central_and_Southern_Asia# 3 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine
43. . Kashmirlibrary.org. Archived from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
44. "Kashmir insurgency". BBC News. from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
45. Jeelani, Mushtaq A. (25 June 2001). . Media Monitors Network. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
46. Hussain, Altaf (14 September 2002). "Kashmir's flawed elections". BBC News. from the original on 26 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
47. "India Pakistan – Timeline". BBC News. from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
48. Ali, Mahmud (9 October 2006). "Pakistan's shadowy secret service". BBC News. from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
49. Rashid, Ahmed (6 October 2006). "Nato's top brass accuse Pakistan over Taliban aid". The Daily Telegraph. from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
50. Gall, Carlotta (21 January 2007). "At Border, Signs of Pakistani Role in Taliban Surge". The New York Times. from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
51. Jehl, Douglas; Dugger, Celia W.; Barringer, Felicity (25 February 2002). "Death of Reporter Puts Focus on Pakistan Intelligence Unit". The New York Times. from the original on 2 May 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
52. "Pakistan supported, trained terror groups: Pervez Musharraf". Business Standard. Press Trust of India. 28 October 2015. from the original on 5 June 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
53. Uppsala Conflict Data Program Conflict Encyclopedia, Conflict Summary, India: Kashmir (entire conflict), Fatality estimates, viewed 2013-05-29, http://www.ucdp.uu.se/gpdatabase/gpcountry.php?id=74&regionSelect=6-Central_and_Southern_Asia# 3 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine
54. Uppsala Conflict Data Program Conflict Encyclopedia, India One-sided violence, Government of India – civilians, Kashmir insurgents – civilians, Lashkar-e-Taiba – civilians, viewed on 2012-05-29, http://www.ucdp.uu.se/gpdatabase/gpcountry.php?id=74&regionSelect=6-Central_and_Southern_Asia# 3 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine
55. Jayanth Jacob; Aurangzeb Naqshbandi. "41,000 deaths in 27 years: The anatomy of Kashmir militancy in numbers". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
56. Evans 2002, p. 19: "Most Kashmiri Pandits living in the Kashmir Valley left in 1990 as militant violence engulfed the state. Some 95% of the 160,000-170,000 community left in what is often described as a case of ethnic cleansing."
57. Bose, Sumantra. Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace. Harvard, 2005.
58. Swami, Praveen.India, Pakistan and the Secret Jihad. 2006.
59. "Omar Abdullah hails Sheikh Abdullah's decision to accede J-K to India". from the original on 8 December 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
60. "Excerpts of Sheikh Abdullah's speech defending the accession". 9 August 2016. from the original on 10 November 2016.
61. Fatalities in Terrorist Violence 1988–2014 in Jammu & Kashmir Archived 15 July 2011 at Wikiwix, South Asian Terrorism, SATP (2014)
62. Tikoo, Colonel Tej K (2013). Kashmir: Its Aborigines and Their Exodus. Lancer Publishers LLC. pp. 397–. ISBN 978-1-935501-58-9.
63. Hasan, Syed Shoaib (3 March 2010). "Why Pakistan is 'boosting Kashmir militants'". BBC News. from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
64. Jamar, Arif. The untold story of Jihad in Kashmir. 2009.
65. Khan, Aamer Ahmed (6 April 2005). "Pakistan: Where have the militants gone?". BBC News. from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
66. Behera, Navnita Chadha (2006). Kashmir Demysitified. Washington: Brookings Institution Press.
67. Behera, Navnita Chadha (2006). Kashmir Demystified. Washington D.C.: Brookings Institution Press.
68. Bose, Sumantra (2003). Kashmir Roots of Conflict Paths to Peace. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. pp. 146.
69. Behra, Navnita Chadha (2006). Demystifying Kashmir. Washington D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. p. 150.
70. . The Hindu. 31 July 2003. Archived from the original on 5 November 2005.
71. "A Militia Against Terror | J&K: Operation Sarp Vinash - The Army Strikes Hard | South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR), Vol. No. 1.46". www.satp.org. from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
72. Kumar, Devesh (24 May 2003). "Operation Sarp Vinash: Army clears Hill Kaka". The Economic Times. from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
73. "Operation 'Sarp Vinash': Over 60 terrorists killed". www.rediff.com. from the original on 13 June 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
74. "Cinema halls are first fatality of militancy in Kashmir". from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
75. "Kashmir's ghost theatres". from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
76. "Kashmir has lost its cinema halls but not its love for the movies". 19 December 2016. from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
77. Benkin, Richard L. (12 April 2017). What Is Moderate Islam?. Lexington Books. p. 47. ISBN 9781498537421. from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
78. Tucker, Spencer C. (2013). Encyclopedia of Insurgency and Counterinsurgency A New Era of Modern Warfare. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, LLC. ISBN 978-1-61069-279-3.
79. Stephens, Bret (4 October 2008). "The Most Difficult Job in the World". The Wall Street Journal. from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
80. Cole, Juan (12 December 2008). "Does Obama understand his biggest foreign-policy challenge?". Salon. from the original on 23 March 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
81. "Links between ISI, militant groups: Straw". Rediff.com. 11 June 2002. from the original on 24 March 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
82. "Stony ground". The Economist. 8 July 2010. from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
83. "Your place or mine?". The Economist. 12 February 2004. from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
84. "Grim up north". The Economist. 25 June 2009. from the original on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
85. "Kashmir's extra-judicial killings". BBC News. 8 March 2007. from the original on 14 June 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
86. "Hizbul Mujahideen almost wiped out in Kashmir". The Times of India. 19 October 2011. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012.
87. . 3 August 2012. Archived from the original on 3 August 2012.
88. . 10 January 2016. Archived from the original on 10 January 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
89. "Kashmiris join insurgency against India at highest rate in two decades". The Express Tribune. 24 February 2015. from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
90. "Who are the Kashmir militants?". BBC News. 1 August 2012. from the original on 20 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
91. "Jammu's Doda is militancy free, say cops after Hizbul terrorist Masood killed in encounter". Hindustan Times. 29 June 2020. from the original on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
92. "No Hizbul militant in south Kashmir's Tral now, first time since 1989: Police". The Times of India. PTI. 26 June 2020. from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
93. "No resident of Srinagar in terrorist ranks after killing of top LeT commander: Kashmir IGP". The Indian Express. 26 July 2020. from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
94. Hussain, Ashiq (26 July 2020). "After killing of LeT man, no resident of Srinagar is in terrorist ranks: IGP". Hindustan Times. from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
95. Pandit, M. Saleem (26 July 2020). "Srinagar district is now terror-free: Police". The Times of India. from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
96. "NC terms drone attack inside Jammu airport as terrorism by rogue state Pakistan". Mathrubhumi. 28 June 2021. from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
97. "10 Jawans Killed This Year in J&K as Terrorists Ramp Up Grenade, Hit-&-Run Attacks on Security Forces". News18. 22 April 2022. from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
98. Schofield, Victoria (2000). Kashmir in Conflict: India, Pakistan and the Unending War. I.B.Tauris. p. 137. ISBN 9781860648984.
99. "How Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Shaped the 1987 Elections in Kashmir". The Caravan. 22 March 2016. from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
100. Hashim, Asad (27 May 2014). "Timeline: India-Pakistan relations". Al Jazeera. from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
101. Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch (16 February 2007). "India: Investigate All 'Disappearances' in Kashmir | Human Rights Watch". Hrw.org. from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
102. Human Rights Watch (11 September 2006). "Everyone Lives in Fear". Hrw.org. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
103. "India: Events of 2008". India | Human Rights Watch. Hrw.org. 14 January 2009. from the original on 3 September 2012.
104. Bukhari, Shujaat. "Mass graves found in North Kashmir containing 2,900 unmarked bodies". The Hindu. from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
105. "Kashmir graves: Human Rights Watch calls for inquiry". BBC News. 25 August 2011. from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
106. . 30 August 2008. Archived from the original on 30 August 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
107. Buried Evidence: Unknown, Unmarked, and Mass Graves in Indian-Administered Kashmir 17 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine A preliminary report; International People's Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Kashmir
108. "India: Investigate Unmarked Graves in Jammu and Kashmir | Human Rights Watch". Hrw.org. 24 August 2011. from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
109. LYDIA POLGREEN (22 August 2011). "Mass Graves Hold Thousands, Kashmir Inquiry Finds". NYTimes. from the original on 2 May 2016.
110. Yardley, Jim (27 September 2010). "India Reopens Kashmir's Schools, but Many Stay Away". The New York Times. from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
111. "India: Security forces cannot claim immunity under AFSPA, must face trial for violations". Amnesty International. 7 February 2012. from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
112. Pallone, Frank (15 February 2006), , US House of Representatives, archived from the original on 10 August 2009
113. "Rights Abuses Behind Kashmir Fighting – Human Rights Watch". hrw.org. 16 July 1999. from the original on 19 October 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
114. Huey, Caitlin (28 March 2011). "Amnesty International Cites Human Rights Abuse in Kashmir". Usnews.com. from the original on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
115. "Army opposes Omar's plans to revoke AFSPA: Report". The Times of India. from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
116. "104 armymen punished for human rights violations in JK: Gen VK Singh | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis". dna. 24 October 2010. from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
117. "Rape by Security Forces: The Pattern of Impunity". www.hrw.org. from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
118. . Kashmir Reader. 3 September 2016. Archived from the original on 4 August 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
119. "Kashmir's disturbing new reality | the young militants of Kashmir". Hindustantimes.com. from the original on 30 May 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2017. Then, youngsters used to take to the streets and pelt stones to protest human right violations...
120. Parthasarathy, Malini. "Understanding Kashmir's stone pelters". The Hindu. from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2017. Today's protesters might shout anti-India slogans such as azadi, but their anger is specifically directed at the security forces in the context of the brutal killings of innocent boys...
121. "Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence [ISI]". GlobalSecurity.org. John Pike. from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
122. "Pakistan needs to incite those fighting in Kashmir: Musharraf". India Today. 16 October 2014. from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
123. "ISI sponsors terror activities in Kashmir, FBI tells US court". Firstpost. 21 July 2011. from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
124. Rajghatta, Chidanand (20 July 2011). "US exposes ISI subversion of Kashmir issue; FBI arrests US-based lobbyist". The Times of India. from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
125. Kumar, Himani (7 June 2011). "ISI gives arms to Kashmir terrorists: Rana to FBI". Rediff.com. from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
126. Agencies (20 July 2011). "ISI funneled millions to influence US policy on Kashmir: FBI". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
127. "'Historic day': PM Imran inaugurates 24/7 border crossing at Torkham". DAWN.COM. 18 September 2019. from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
128. Puri, Luv (27 November 2019). "The many faces of Pakistani Punjab's militancy". The Hindu. from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
129. Nomani, Asra Q. (1 December 2008). "Muslims -- India's new 'untouchables'". Los Angeles Times. from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
130. Thottam, Jyoti (4 September 2008). "Valley of Tears". Time. from the original on 24 January 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
131. Gowhar Geelani. "Five reasons behind radicalisation in Kashmir". www.dailyo.in. from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
132. Waheeda Khan, Conflict in Kashmir 2015, p. 90, 91.
133. "Indian award for Kashmir 'human shield' officer". BBC News. 23 May 2017. from the original on 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017. High unemployment and complaints of heavy-handed tactics by security forces battling street protesters and fighting insurgents have aggravated the problem.
134. "Unemployment a reason for surge in J&K violence?". The Times of India. from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
135. Parthasarathy, Malini. "Understanding Kashmir's stone pelters". The Hindu. from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2017. The protesters on the streets...(are) frustrated at the lack of employment and economic opportunities. It is not hard to see where the frustration of the educated Kashmiri youth comes from. On the one hand, they are told that they are Indian citizens but they are shut out of the narrative of India as an emerging economic power. With mobile phones and internet communication being restricted, their sense of participation in the larger Indian discourse is sharply reduced.
136. Waheeda Khan, Conflict in Kashmir 2015, p. 88
137. Bukhari, Mannan (28 July 2015). Kashmir - Scars of Pellet Gun: The Brutal Face of Suppression. Partridge Publishing. p. 44. ISBN 9781482850062. from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
138. "Summers of Unrest Challenging India". www.kashmirlife.net. 20 December 2010. from the original on 12 October 2017.
139. "Four killed in Kashmir bomb blast". BBC News. 20 July 2005. from the original on 25 August 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
140. Mushtaq, Sheikh. "Ten Killed in Kashmir Car Bomb Blast". ABC News. from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
141. . satp.org. Archived from the original on 9 March 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
142. Alexander Evans, A departure from history: Kashmiri Pandits, 1990–2001, Contemporary South Asia (Volume 11, Number 1, 1 March 2002, pp. 19–37)
143. "Chronicle of Important events/date in J&K's political history". jammu-kashmir.com. from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
144. "Kashmir's first blood". The Indian Express. 1 May 2005. from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
145. . Archived from the original on 15 April 2005.
146. "Wandhama Massacre report". Archived from the original on 9 October 1999. Retrieved 29 May 2005.
147. Dugger, Celia W. (9 October 2001). "Pakistan Asks India to Revive Talks Aimed at Bringing Peace to Kashmir". The New York Times. from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
148. "Human Rights Watch World Report 2003: India". from the original on 6 October 2010.
149. "20 July 2005 Srinagar attack". from the original on 18 November 2005.
150. . Archived from the original on 3 March 2007.
151. "Kashmir minister killed in attack". BBC News. 18 October 2005. from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
152. Tribune News Service (4 May 2006). "Phagwara observes bandh over J&K massacre". The Tribune. from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
153. Sharma, S.P. (13 June 2006). "Terror in Jammu, Anantnag". The Tribune. from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
154. "Multiple attacks rock Kashmir Valley". The Hindu: Mobile Edition. 5 December 2014. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
155. Human Rights Watch, Patricia Gossman. "India's secret army in Kashmir : new patterns of abuse emerge in the conflict ", 1996
156. Ramaseshan, Radhika (30 December 2008). . The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
157. Sanghvi, Vir . Archived from the original on 8 February 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2010. "Think the unthinkable" Hindustan Times, August 2008
158. "Afzal Guru's confession: I helped them, took training in Pak". DAILY BHASKAR. 10 February 2013. from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
159. Agencies (6 April 2012). "Attempts will be made to push ultras across LoC: Army". Indian Express. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014.
160. Press Trust of India (7 January 2014). "Militants, Army troopers exchange fire in Pulwama, none hurt". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014.
161. Gupta, Amit; Leather, Kaia.[1] 30 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine "Kashmir: Recent Developments and US Concerns", June 2002
162. "The Future of Kashmir?". BBC News. from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
163. Bradnock, Robert "Kashmir: Paths to Peace" Chatham House, London, 2008
164. "Just 2% of people in J&K want to join Pak: Survey". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 14 January 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
165. Abbas, Zaffar (13 June 2002). "Analysis: Is al-Qaeda in Kashmir?". BBC News. from the original on 29 December 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
166. Smith, Michael (23 February 2002). "SAS joins Kashmir hunt for bin Laden". The Daily Telegraph. from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
167. International Herald Tribune. "Al Qaeda Claim of Kashmiri Link Worries India"
168. The Hindu.. The Hindu. 18 June 2007. Archived from the original on 11 April 2010. "No Al Qaeda presence in Kashmir: Army"
169. Dawn.[3]^{[permanent dead link]} "Al Qaeda could provoke new India-Pakistan war: Gates", January 2010
170. Smucker, Phillip (2 July 2002). "Al Qaeda thriving in Pakistani Kashmir". The Christian Science Monitor. from the original on 11 January 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
171. Everyone Lives in Fear: Patterns of Impunity in Jammu and Kashmir (PDF) (Report). Human Rights Watch. September 2006. p. 1.
172. Bose, Sumantra (2003). Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace. Harvard University Press. p. 3. from the original on 12 October 2017.
173. . Kashmir Observer. Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
174. Sumantra Bose (2003), Kashmir : roots of conflict, paths to peace, Harvard University Press, p. 4, ISBN 0-674-01173-2
175. "datasheet-terrorist-attack-fatalities". www.satp.org. from the original on 31 January 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
176. Kakar, Harsha (24 November 2017). "Why Kashmir needs much more than surrender appeals". ORF. from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
177. Malik, Irfan Amin (25 November 2020). "Will Army's Draft 'Surrender Policy' In J&K Help Combat Militancy?". TheQuint. from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
178. Yasir, Sameer (16 October 2017). "Jammu and Kashmir security forces' new appeal to militants: Surrender, come home and rejoin society". Firstpost. from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
179. Kartha, Tara (5 June 2018). "New Age Militancy – Kashmir Youth Need Policies Encouraging Change, Not Surrender". The Wire. from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
180. Ashiq, Peerzada (30 January 2021). "Two Hizb militants 'motivated' to surrender". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
181. IANS (22 December 2020). "Two terrorists surrender during encounter with security forces in Kashmir". Business Standard India. from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
182. "J-K: Surrendered militant urged companions to surrender, they refused and get killed in encounter". The Economic Times. 6 May 2021. from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
183. Islah, Mufti (22 March 2021). "'Missing You': A Kashmiri Child's Plea to Holed up Militant Father Fails, Body Found after Encounter". News18. from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
184. Masood, Bashaarat (23 March 2021). "Four militants killed; ignored pleas from family: police". The Indian Express. from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.

Bibliography

• Evans, Alexander (2002). "A departure from history: Kashmiri Pandits, 1990–2001". Contemporary South Asia. 11 (1): 19–37. doi:10.1080/0958493022000000341. ISSN 0958-4935. S2CID 145573161.
• Khan, Waheeda (2015), "Conflict in Kashmir: Psychosocial Consequences on Children", in Sibnath Deb (ed.), Child Safety, Welfare and Well-being: Issues and Challenges, Springer, pp. 83–93, ISBN 978-81-322-2425-9