Home Minister Amit Shah Says No Locals Joining Terror Groups in J&K for Six Months
NEW DELHI, India – July 31, 2025: Home Minister Amit Shah said Wednesday that, for the last six months, no one from Jammu and Kashmir has joined a terror group. He sees this as a big change for security in the area. Speaking to the Rajya Sabha, Shah said that all terrorists recently killed in the area were from other countries, which means less local support for militants. He said this during a discussion about the Pahalgam terror attack and the Operation Sindoor that followed.
No New Local Recruits, Foreign Terrorists Taken Down
Shah said this improvement shows that the counter-terrorism plans in Jammu and Kashmir are working. He confirmed that the three terrorists killed during Operation Mahadev on July 28—Suleiman, alias Faizal; Afghan; and Jibran, all working with Lashkar-e-Taiba—were from other countries. These guys were tied to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, where a lot of civilians were hurt.
Finding out who the Pahalgam attackers were took a lot of investigation. This included talking to over 1,000 people and using lab reports to verify who they were and where they came from.
Fewer Terror Attacks and Less Recruitment
This news backs up a trend of fewer terror attacks and less local recruitment in J&K, which has been happening for a few years. Data from the Home Affairs Ministry shows that there have been fewer terrorist and militant attacks in the area since 2019. The J&K police chief said before that local terror recruitment dropped by 80% in 2023, with only 22 people joining that year.
These numbers show a big change from the past when many local young people were joining militant groups. For example, around 219 youths joined in 2018. Now, security forces are mostly focused on fighting infiltrators and terrorists from other countries.
Better Security and New Rules
The government’s plan in J&K is to not accept any terrorism. Security is working hard to stop the terror groups. Home Minister Shah has told security many times to make sure they are making plans to control areas and stop terror.
This involves making security stronger, collecting better info, and stopping people from crossing the border. The government has also put limits on government jobs, passports, and contracts for people who support terrorism, to break down their networks.
Economic Growth and Voting
Besides security, the government is working on making the economy better and bringing back democracy in J&K. They are investing a lot in roads, business, and tourism. In 2023, a record 21.1 million tourists visited.
A lot of people in Jammu and Kashmir voted in the recent Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, with 58.46% and 63.88% voting in 2024. This shows they are believing more in democracy and rejecting violence. This voting is seen as important for cutting off terror groups and bringing things back to normal.
What’s Next and Challenges
While the numbers look good now, security is still watching closely, especially for foreign terrorists who are trying to hide and blend in with locals before attacking.
The main hope is for a J&K without terror. They are constantly working to stop people from crossing the border, fighting against people becoming radicalized, and making sure there is lasting peace and growth in the area.
