At least twenty-two people including 15 militants were killed in January this year, reveals official data. Besides 15 militants, 2 soldiers, a policeman, a trooper, a BSF man and an Army porter were killed.As per the data 15 militants were killed in 7 encounters. Two among the fifteen slain militants were non-locals. The areas where gunfights raged between militants and Government Forces included Gulshanpora Tral, Aripal Tral Choudarybagh Pulwama, Khatpora Kulgam, Hafat Nallah Charar-e-Sharif, Shirmal Shopian and Binnar Baramulla. At Aripal Tral militants managed to give a slip to Forces after killing a trooper trooper Mahesh Meena.Besides top militant commander Zeenat-ul-Islam, others who were killed included Shakoor Ahmed Parrey of Laribal Tral, Touseef Ahmed Thokar and Zubair Ahmed Bhat both residents of Chursoo Awantipora, Shakeel Ahmed Dar of Chilipora Shopian, Sabzar Ahmed of Lassipora, Syed Rabani of Nazneenpora Shopian,Touseef Ahmed of Nowpora Payeen Pulwama, Dr Shamsul Haq Mengnoo alias Burhan Sani of Dragad, Aamir Ahmed Bhat alias Abu Hauzif of Chidipora, Shohaib Ahmed Shah of Shirmal Shopian, Suhaib Farooq Akhoon of Khanpora Baramulla, Mohsin Mushtaq Bhat of Qazi Hamam Baramulla, Nasir Amed Darzi of Batapora Sopore and Saqib Shafi of Arihal.
This month according to news agency CNS suspected militants carried out 08 grenade attacks on security pickets. The areas were grenades were lobbed by militants included Abdullah Bridge Rajbagh, Ghanta Ghar Lal Chowk, KP road Anantnag, General Bus Stand Anantnag, Tahab Pulwama, Lal Mandi Srinagar, Damhal Hanjipora Kulgam, Sherbagh Anantnag. As per the data available three government forces personnel including a policeman committed suicide this month. They include CRPF man Mukesh Bhawuk (24 Battalion), army soldier Abishekh Roy Kumar and police head constable Muhammad Shafi Mir of Sadoora Kulgam.Unlike previous year, no rife snatching or bank robbery incidents occurred in the first month of the current year.This month Kashmir witnessed a shutdown call only on R-Day function while different areas of Kashmir valley observed shutdown to mourn killings and arrests. These areas included Lal Chowk Srinagar, Sopore, Baramulla, Handwara, Kupwara, Sumbal, Shopian, Pulwama and Tral.