According to Jammu and Kashmir administration sources, there has been significant improvement in the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir since the last assembly elections i.e. 2014. This year, terrorist incidents have decreased by one-tenth as compared to 2014. One of the main reasons for the good increase in voting in most parts of the Kashmir region is considered to be the decrease in terrorist incidents. An official said that this is important because this is the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and its reorganization into a union territory.
However, the voting percentage has declined since 2014 in all the districts except one district of Jammu division, where voting has ended. One possible reason for the decline in voting in Jammu division could be that there has been an increase in terrorist activities in the region recently. Till September 27, 11 civilians and 17 security personnel have been killed in 15 terrorist attacks and encounters in Jammu region.
Of the 13 districts in Jammu and Kashmir that went to polls in the first two phases on September 18 and 25, eight recorded lower average turnout compared to the 2014 assembly elections. Of these 13 districts, five are in Jammu region, while three are in Kashmir Valley.
Increase in voting in Jammu compared to 2014
Only one of the six districts in Jammu where voting took place in Phases 1 and 2 has seen an increase in voting percentage compared to the 2014 elections, while four of the seven such districts in Kashmir have seen an increase in voting percentage. Is. Comparison with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections shows that except one district, Reasi in Jammu region, there was less turnout in the current elections.
In July, the biggest terrorist attack of the year took place in Reasi, in which terrorists opened fire on a bus, killing eight passengers and the bus driver. Additionally, several security forces have suffered casualties in encounters with terrorists in Poonch and Rajouri in recent months.
2014 vs 2024: Terrorist incidents in Jammu and Kashmir
2014 2024 (by 27 September)
222 23 (15 Jammu and 8 Kashmir)
security personnel killed
2014 2024 (by 27 September)
47 23 (15 Jammu and 4 Kashmir)
civilians killed
2014 2024 (by 27 September)
29 16 (11 Jammu and 5 Kashmir)
terrorists killed
2014 2024 (by 27 September)
110 45 (35 Kashmir and 10 Jammu)
There were 222 terrorist incidents in 2014, only 23 so far this year.
Overall, terrorism-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir have declined from 222 in 2014 to 23 so far this year, of which 15 have been recorded in Jammu region and 8 in Kashmir. Deaths by security forces have also declined to 25, of which 17 were in Jammu region alone, from 47 in 2014, while civilian killings have declined from 28 to 16 in 2024 (11 in Jammu region and 5 in the Valley).
45 terrorists were killed this year compared to 110 in 2014. Of these, 35 including 18 foreign terrorists and 17 local terrorists were neutralized in Kashmir, while 10 terrorists were neutralized in Jammu.
In comparison to 23 grenade attacks, nine IED attacks and 41 strike calls in 2014, no such incidents have taken place in 2024. A security official said that four out of seven districts (Kulgam, Shopian, Pulwama and Srinagar, which were once strongholds of terrorism) performed better in terms of voter turnout compared to the 2014 assembly elections.