Security forces have eliminated the entire leadership of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Jammu and Kashmir and nobody is now ready to lead the terror outfit which was responsible for the Pulwama terror attack, a top Army Commander said here on Wednesday.

Lt Gen K.J.S. Dhillon, who heads the army's Srinagar-based 15 Corps, said that after the Pulwama terror strike in February, the security forces have killed 41 terrorists, out of whom 25 belonged to the JeM outfit.

"The entire leadership of the JeM has been decimated. Nobody is now ready to head the outfit in the Valley," he said at a press conference here along with state police chief Dilbag Singh.

The JeM carried out the ghastly terror attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama on February 14, killing 40 personnel. Within days, the security forces said all those involved in planning of the attack had been killed in various gunfights.

"In 2019, the security forces have killed 69 terrorists so far," Lt Gen Dhillon said.

The police chief said the security forces were in complete control of the ground situation, which he claimed "is fast improving".

Dilbag Singh said there was a marked fall in the numbers of local youths joining the militant ranks.

"There was a marked decrease in stone pelting incidents during 2018 as compared to the previous years."

--IANS

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