j-k-local-terrorist-recruitment-falls-to-single-digits-2025

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi said on Tuesday that the situation along the western front and in Jammu and Kashmir remains sensitive but firmly under control following Operation Sindoor, adding that there are clear signs of positive change in Jammu and Kashmir, as local terrorist recruitment in 2025 fell to single digits owing to tight security measures. 

 

General Dwivedi, addressing a press conference said that 31 terrorists were eliminated in 2025, of which 65 per cent were of Pakistani origin.  

 

“Since May 10, the situation along the Western Front and in J&K remains sensitive but firmly under control. In 2025, 31 terrorists were eliminated, of which 65 per cent were of Pakistani origin, including the three perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack neutralised in Operation Mahadev. Active local terrorists are now in single digits,” the Army chief said.  

 

Also Read: Operation Sindoor is ongoing: General Upendra Dwivedi

 

“Terrorist recruitment is almost non-existent, with only 2 in 2025. Clear indicators of positive change in J&K include robust development activity, the revival of tourism, and the peaceful Sri Amarnath Yatra, which saw more than 4 lakh pilgrims, exceeding the five-year average. The theme of terrorism to tourism is gradually taking shape,” he added.  

 

The situation on the ground has dramatically improved in Jammu and Kashmir since 2021, while militancy-related violence has seen a gradual decrease in the Kashmir Valley. The Jammu region’s major forest belts remain infested with terrorists. Meanwhile, the number of locals picking up arms and joining militant ranks has decreased from 160 in 2020 to 125 in 2021, 130 in 2022, 23 in 2023, and around 20 in 2024, culminating in the current single-digit figures. 

 

The coordinated efforts of security and intelligence agencies striking at the roots of the terror support structure in Jammu and Kashmir have resulted in the active militants in J&K falling to roughly 131 as of 2025. The reduction represents a 94 per cent decline in the recruitment of locals into militancy since 2021, with a massive reduction in terror attacks in the Kashmir Valley during 2025.