According to J&K Police records, 113 militants have been killed this year in the Valley. (Representational)

Twenty-nine foreign militants are active in the upper reaches of South Kashmir, which has seen major anti-militancy operations in the last few months, according to the police.

Vijay Kumar, Kashmir Inspector-General of Police, said there are more militants in South Kashmir as compared to North Kashmir. “They (foreign militants) are not in the hinterland, but there is a presence of (foreign militants) in the upper reaches of Kokernag, Tral and Khrew. In these areas (of South Kashmir) there is presence of FT (Foreign Terrorists). About 29 FTs are in South Kashmir.

As soon they will come down, our sources will inform us and we will neutralise them by launching operations,” Kumar told the media on Saturday on the sidelines of a wreath-laying ceremony for the CRPF constable killed in a militant attack in South Kashmir’s Bijbehara on Friday.

Kumar said that South Kashmir is a “priority” even though the police are currently focussing on North Kashmir.

“Number of militants is more in South Kashmir. We have started operations in North Kashmir. Recently two local LeT militants were killed in Sopore. They were locals, but they had carried a lot of incidents. We are focusing on that (North), but there are militants in South Kashmir, and it is on priority,” he said. “In May first week, there were huge losses on our side and a perception became that militants had an upper hand. In North Kashmir, the number of militants is still less. Whatever the less number is, we will neutralise them soon.”
According to J&K Police records, 113 militants have been killed this year in the Valley.