Compared to Jammu and Kashmir, security forces seem to be losing more men than extremists in the red belt states.
The kill ratio for security forces was in the negative in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017 present. The forces managed to buck the fatal trend only in 2015 and 2016.
The Maoist attack on security forces in Chhattisgarh on Monday, killing 25 CRPF men, upped this year’s toll of security men well above that of the extremists.
* the 2017 figure includes casualities of April 24th attack on CRPF convoy in Sukma
Disproportionate casualties are frowned upon in the Army, which faces militant strikes in Kashmir and parts of north-east. When a figure below 4 is unacceptable for the Army, the security forces, mainly the CRPF in the red belt states, are dealing with decimal figures.
The Indian Army too has a major challenge in Jammu and Kashmir this year -- to bring down its casualties which saw a steep rise last year compared to previous years.
Army lost more men than militants in a string of attacks. The trend picked up last year when, on January 2, terrorists belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammad attacked the Indian Air Force Station at Pathankot in Punjab leading to the deaths of seven security personnel and four terrorists. Then came Uri attack in September, killing 19 soldiers, tilting the ratio of casualties of the security forces against the terrorists in favour of the security forces.
