Kashmir violence: When will it end?

The attack on a bus carrying pilgrims to the Amarnath shrine is a new high for the spiral of violence that has engulfed Jammu and Kashmir. The attack was condemned by every major political group. 

India can be forgiven for asking tiredly when and where it is going to end. Consider the pattern of violence in the state. The year 2016 and the first half of 2017 saw a spike in militant killings. But, more security forces have died, too. The lowest number of militancy-related incidents, 113, was in 2013, probably the lowest since 1990. The number rose sharply in 2014 to 155. Most are unusual and do not fit into the pattern of militancy noticed in the Valley since it plunged into violence in the late 1980s. A lot of these were aimed at rival groups but that has changed.

David Devadas, former Business Standard journalist, now based in Kashmir, says the united functioning of militant groups, mainly the Jamaat-e-Islami-affiliated Hizb-ul Mujahideen and Hafiz Sayeed's Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, is striking. They operate jointly and both now seem to have local and foreign militants — generally in a 2:1 ratio.

So, where is Kashmir going? The killing is unlikely to stop soon.

Data: South Asia Terrorism Portal

Analysis: Aditi Phadnis