The Centre on Wednesday sent a stern message that terrorists active in Jammu and Kashmir region will either land in jail or be sent to ‘jahannum’ (hell). Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the entire Defence core team held series of review meeting for constant Jammu terror attacks in recent times, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai asserted in Parliament that the Modi Government has zero tolerance for terrorism.

A terrorist was neutralised while one more Indian Army jawan sacrificed his life in the ongoing encounter with terrorists in the North Kashmir district of Kupwara on Wednesday. The braveheart has been identified as  Naik (GNR) Dilwar Khan. This is the third incident of terrorist violence in the last three days in Jammu and Kashmir.

The house of a Shaurya Chakra awardee was targeted by terrorists in the Khawas tehsil of Rajouri on Monday while an Army jawan sacrificed his life in the line of duty thwarting a major infiltration bid along the line of control in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch on Tuesday.

“The Modi Government has zero tolerance for terrorism. We will end terrorism. They (terrorists) will be either in jail or jahannum... I want to assure the House. Terrorist activities witnessed recently will soon end. They (terrorists) will not succeed in their design,” Rai said in Parliament.

In the latest Rajouri incident, in the ensuing firefight, one terrorist was eliminated and a soldier received injuries who later succumbed to his injuries. A spokesman of the Chinar Corps said based on specific information the operation was launched by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir police in the general area of Kowut, Kupwara on July 23.  On July 24, suspicious movement was observed and challenged by vigilant troops, in response to which terrorists opened indiscriminate fire

The Government informed the Lok Sabha that in the past few days, 28 terrorists have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir and unfortunately some security personnel have also lost their lives. According to the Minister, security forces have killed about 900 terrorists in the region after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

Between 2004-2014 when the UPA was ruling at the Centre, there were 7,217 incidents of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The number came down to 2,259 from 2014, when the BJP was voted to power, and July 21 this year, Rai said. In 2019, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.