- Security operations keep J&K violence at historic low
- Op Sindoor destroyed across LoC terror camps, neutralised 100 terrorists
- 26 civilians killed in Baisaran Valley, 21 in cross-border shelling
Jammu Tawi, Dec 30: Forty-six terrorists were killed in 35 violent incidents across Jammu and Kashmir in 2025, while overall violence remained near a 25-year low, officials said. Among those eliminated were the perpetrators of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack—Suleiman Shah alias Hashim Musa, Hamza Afghani and Zibran—who were neutralised in an encounter on July 28, 2025.
The most significant military action of the year was Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, 2025, to avenge the Pahalgam attack that killed 25 tourists and a local guide. The incident was the deadliest attack on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Under Operation Sindoor, India carried out missile strikes on nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Officials said over 100 terrorists, including several high-value commanders, were killed. Seven camps were destroyed by the Indian Army and two by the Indian Air Force.
The operation was planned at the Military Operations Branch of the Indian Army and monitored from the Directorate General of Military Operations’ Ops Room, with the Chief of Defence Staff and the chiefs of all three services present. Officials said the strikes were time-bound, precise and aimed at preventing escalation while reinforcing deterrence.
Pakistan retaliated with heavy shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) from May 7 to May 10, particularly in Poonch district, killing at least 21 Indian civilians. During the same period, Pakistan also attempted drone attacks on four consecutive nights. Indian Army air defence units intercepted and neutralised all incoming drones, officials said. Along the LoC, Indian forces destroyed more than a dozen terror launch pads using ground-based weapons, disrupting infiltration routes and logistics networks.
On May 10, the Director General of Military Operations of the Indian Army was approached by his Pakistani counterpart, following which an understanding was reached to halt firing and military action.
The Border Security Force (BSF) reported that eight terrorists were killed while attempting to infiltrate across the LoC in four separate foiled bids. Infiltration attempts along the Line of Control in the Kashmir Frontier declined during the year, with only four attempts reported—two before Operation Sindoor and two afterward. A total of 13 terrorists were involved in these attempts, of whom eight were neutralised and five were pushed back.
The Government said it strengthened intelligence, inter-agency coordination and border management through the year. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai told the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session that measures included upgraded Multi-Agency Centres, AI-enabled analysis, improved Central Armed Police Forces and State police capabilities, advanced surveillance technologies and forensic modernisation projects. These steps, he said, helped reduce terror threats and improve operational preparedness, including monitoring of online radicalisation.
Security force casualties were also reported. A soldier was killed in a gunfight with terrorists in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur in April. Two Army personnel lost their lives in an IED blast near the LoC in the Akhnoor sector in February. Additional casualties occurred during cross-border firing in May and in action along the LoC in Baramulla district in August. Further losses were reported in encounters across Kulgam, Kishtwar, Rajouri and Kupwara.
Nowgam Blast:
On November 14, a powerful explosion inside Nowgam Police Station on the outskirts of Srinagar killed nine people and injured at least 32 others, unsettling the Valley. Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat said the blast was accidental. The J&K government announced ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for the injured. In December, the Lieutenant Governor provided government appointment letters to the victims’ families.
Counter-terror operations and border management remained the focus throughout the year as security forces continued efforts to prevent infiltration and dismantle militant networks.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the J&K Police for their investigation into the November 10, 2025, Red Fort blast in Delhi, describing it as a “masterclass” at the Anti-Terrorism Conference-2025 on December 26. He cited the probes into the Pahalgam attack and the Delhi blast as models for intelligence agencies worldwide. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also lauded the J&K Police for exposing a pan-India ‘white-collar’ terror module, saying it helped thwart multiple terror incidents across the country.
