Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, days after four soldiers were killed on December 21 in an ambush by terrorists of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Muhammad’s proxy People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF).

Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha, national security advisor Ajit Doval, Army chief General Manoj Pande along with intelligence officials were present in the meeting, officials told PTI.

According to an ANI report, Shah directed complete area domination and better coordination among police, Indian Army and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in J&K to strengthen security. He also stressed on the need to boost and strengthen local intelligence.

Just days after the ambush, three civilians were picked up by questioning by the security forces in connection with the Poonch ambush. Their relatives alleged the trio was killed in custody, resulting in the Army to initiate a probe. Defence minister Rajnath Singh had visited Poonch in wake of these incidents.

Since the beginning of 2023, sporadic incidents of violence continued in J&K, whose special status under Article 370 was repealed by the Centre in 2019.

Last year, 54 people including 28 terrorists and 19 security personnel were killed in a series of encounters that took place in Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi districts of the union territory.

According to officials, the rise in violence is due to ‘desperate attempts from across the border’ to revive terror in the region. In Rajouri, 31 persons including 10 terrorists and 14 security forces personnel were killed. In Poonch, 15 terrorists and five security personnel were killed. In Reasi, three terrorists were eliminated.

Most of the terrorists were killed while attempting to sneak into this side of the border. In May last year, five Army personnel were killed and a major-rank officer was injured in Chamrer forest during an anti-terrorist operation. A foreign terrorist was also killed in the operation.

(With PTI, ANI inputs)