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Indian army reports deaths of 68 soldiers in terror attacks in 2016
Kashmir Times. Dated: 3/21/2017 11:57:56 PM
NEW DELHI, Mar 21 (Agencies): The Indian Army reported the deaths of 68 of its men in 15 terror attacks in 2016 along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan and the international border in Jammu and Kashmir.
The army also told the Lok Sabha (the lower house of the Indian Parliament) there were 449 ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC and the international border in Jammu and Kashmir combined.
Subhash Bhamre, Minister of State for Defense, told the Lok Sabha in a written report that 10 terror attacks were recorded in 2014; 11 in 2015; 15 in 2016 and three until March 15 this year.
He revealed that 2015 and 2016 also saw a rise in the number of deaths among army personnel. There were 67 deaths in 2015 and 68 deaths in 2016 caused by terror attacks and along the border.
This toll compares to 2014 when 38 army personnel died in terror attacks. Thirteen Indian soldiers have lost their lives so far this year.
Bhamre also noted there were 228 ceasefire violations along the LoC (which is under Indian Army control) in 2016. Territory along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir, which is under the control of the Border Security Force (BSF), recorded 221 ceasefire violations.
This data amounts to one border violation every day.
Until February 6, there were 30 ceasefire violations along the LoC with six violations along the international border recorded by the BSF.
In early November 2016, the army said 5,674 soldiers of its men were killed by fire from the Pakistan Army in ceasefire violations along the LoC since 2001, and by Kashmiri Muslim terrorists supported by Pakistan.
Of this total, 4,500 army soldiers died at the hands of the Pakistan Army while 1,174 soldiers died in clashes with Muslim terrorists supported by Pakistan.
It is unclear if this death toll includes fatal casualties suffered by the BSF, the world's largest border defense unit. There are 16 BSF battalions operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
This grim total of 5,674 means Pakistan and Pakistan supported militants have killed one jawan per day along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir from 2001 until 2016.