IED, bombs menace growing more in Jammu Kashmir than Naxal theatre

New Delhi Jammu and Kashmir has seen a steady increase in IED blasts and other bombing incidents over the last five years with 2018 witnessing a 57 per cent jump in such incidents while two other major theatres of violence LWEhit areas and North East saw the number of such incidents going down the latest report has foundWhile the state that shares a border with both Pakistan and China saw a total of 37 incidents of bombing improvised explosive device and explosive ordnance triggered in 2014 these incidents grew to 46 in 2015 69 in 2016 70 in 2017 and as high as 117 during the last yearA report in this context was presented by the National Bomb Data Centre NBDC of the NSG during a twoday international conference in Delhi that concluded recently on the menace and threats posed by IEDsThe NBDC of the elite black cats commando force is the national repository of all IED and bombing incidents that take place in the country and the unit also conducts a postblast investigation of all such incidents including the Pulwama blast caseThe report made a special mention of JK and the growing threat of IED and similar explosives in the state at a time when investigators suspect that the deadly attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel in Pulwama on February 14 was executed by a lone wolf JaisheMohammed terrorist by blowing off a 20kg strong RDX mix explosive laden in a car next to a troopcarrier bus plying as part of a convoy on the JammuSrinagar HighwayThere was a considerable decrease in IED blast incidents in all regions of the country except in JK where terrorists resorted to increased use of IEDs during 2018 the report accessed by PTI saidIt added that while IED blast incidents reduced to 77 last year from 98 in 2017 in the Left Wing Extremism LWE hit areas of the country such incidents in JK rose by 57 per cent from 21 in 2017 to 33 during last yearThe IED blast incidents in the northeast insurgency theatre reduced to 32 last year as compared to 66 in the year 2017 indicating a decrease of 52 per cent the report accessed by the news agency saidThe report said while there was a steep decrease in the number of IED blast incidents in the country as a whole fatalities due to these explosions increased considerably in all the violence theatres of JK LWE and North EastIn 2017 while a total of 244 incidents of IED blasts took place in the country leading to 61 deaths the last year witnessed only 174 such incidents but a higher number of deaths at 108While one death was recorded due to IED blast in JK in 2017 the improvised explosives claimed 13 lives in the state that is reeling under terrorism for past many decadesTerrorists in JK who were normally relying on explosive ordnance also resorted to IEDs during 2018 as these devices offered them neartotal anonymity the report saidExplosive ordnance denotes shells and bombs of military gradeThe report said fatal casualties in IED blast incidents increased considerably during the last year as compared to 2017 in the LWE north and JK theatres and also the rest of IndiaThe disgruntled and desperate insurgents terrorists and CPI Maoists who had suffered setbacks in 2018 resorted to renewed IED attacks to avoid direct confrontation with the security forces55 people including civilians were killed in LWE areas alone which accounted for more than 50 per cent of the total fatalities that took place in the country in IED blast incidents the report saidOf the 55 killed fifteen were civilians which accounted for 27 per cent of total casualties which took place due to IED blast incidents in LWE areas it saidJK as per the report also witnessed a rise in nonfatal casualties in IED blast incidents as compared to the other two major combat theatresAlthough there was a steep increase in a number of fatalities in IED blast incidents in 2018 as compared to the previous year the nonfatal casualties saw a reverse trend in the year 2018 recording a considerable decrease in a number of nonfatal casualties in all regions of the country except JK it statedThe report said that an overall number of nonfatal casualties in 2018 is 33 per cent less than the number of nonfatal casualties recorded in 2017The report said while in JK security forces were the prime target of terrorists IEDs all such devices using a mix of metal shrapnel RDX TNT and incendiary chemicals were largely made of highgrade explosivesCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get the latest updatesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever