Srinagar: Eight hundred separatist guerrillas, including 300 foreigners, were still active in Jammu and Kashmir although militancy related violence had largely been controlled, state Director General of Police Kuldeep Khuda said here Thursday.

“Nearly eight hundred militants, five hundred of them local and three hundred foreigners, are still active in the state," Khuda told mediapersons here Thursday.

Khuda said providing security to the staggered seven-phase assembly elections in the state was a huge challenge that had been successfully met.

He said there had been no incident of custodial disappearance across the state in 2008 except one alleged custodial killing in south Kashmir's Shopian district which was being probed.

The security forces in the state had eliminated 102 guerrillas during 2008 which included some of their top commanders.

“During the period elections were being held in the state, 26 militants including some of their top commanders had been eliminated by the security forces here which helped instil confidence among the voters to come out in such large numbers and exercise their democratic right to elect a government here," said Khuda.

 

Source : IANS