JAMMU, Jan 2: As many as 875 militants were killed and another 900 arrested along with a large quantity of arms and ammunition by the army engaged in anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir during 1997.A defence spokesman said here today that the maximum number of 163 militants of various outfits were killed during the month of June last year, followed by 109 militants in July and 105 in August. However, the lowest number of 35 militants killed in various operations was in the month of December. About 230 militants surrendered during the period, the spokesman said.
More than 100 army personnel, that included officers, made supreme sacrifice while fighting militancy in Jammu and Kashmir whereas more than three hundred were injured in various anti-militancy operations during the year 1997, he said.
The arms and ammunition recovered during the year include 1,300 AK 47 rifles, 32 snipe rifles, 66 universal/light machine guns, 71 rocket launchers/rpgs, 550 revolvers/pistols and more than 5,600
grenades. A total of about 750 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and 2,600 kgs of explosives also formed part of the recoveries.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
