Normalcy in Kashmir to be restored soon: GOC
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar June 19: Six militants were killed in two overnight encounters in South Kashmir taking the number of militants killed in these two gun battles since yesterday to eight. The senior security forces officials today said that in the next few months, they will try to ensure that the normalcy is fully restored in Kashmir so that people resume the activities of their choice in peaceful manner.
Click here to watch video
Eight militants were killed in two separate encounters in Southern districts of Pulwama and Shopian in the past 24 hours. The slain include two militants who had taken refuge inside a mosque in Meej area of Pampore in Pulwama district.
Four militants were killed in Bandpawa in district Shopian encounter today while one was killed yesterday taking the number of militants killed in the encounter to five.
The killed militants have been identified as Shakir Shafi of Nazneenpora Shopian who had joined militancy last month, Nadeem Zaman of Hefkhuri Shopian and he had also joined militancy last month, Jawhar Ahmad Malik of Achan in district Pulwama who was active since December 2017, Adil Hussain Pal of Maldar Shopian active since May 2018 and Mohsin Ahmad Wani of Ahind Shopian who was active since February this year.
Two militants who had taken refuge in a mosque in Meej Pampore were killed today while one militant was killed yesterday taking the number of militants killed in the encounter to three.
IGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said that to maintain the sanctity of the Mosque and ensure zero damage to it, security forces exhibited highest level of patience and professionalism and before using tear smoke shells both the hiding militants were repeatedly appealed to surrender but they didn’t and were ultimately neutralized.
The three militants who were killed at Meej Pampore in district Pulwama have been identified as Shahnawaz of Muran in district Pulwama, Arshad Ahmad of Marwal Kakapora in district Pulwama and Faisal Ahmad of Below Rajpora in district Pulwama. All of them were affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba.
The dead bodies of the militants were sent to Baramulla for burial after their DNA samples were taken.
The Srinagar based 15 Corps Commander, Lieutenant General B S Raju told a news conference that over the past 24 hours, security forces did a wonderful job by killing eight militants in two separate encounters in South Kashmir’s Pulwama and Shopian districts.
“In one of the encounters, where militants had gone inside a mosque, troops exercised extreme restraint and no damage was caused to the religious place. With every operation we are moving on the path of peace. I can feel it on ground that there is a palpable difference in the situation”, the GOC said.
Flanked by Director General of Police Dilbag Singh, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar and IG CRPF Rajesh Kumar, Lt Gen Raju said that the successful operations are taking place with the active support of people. “In next few months, we will try to ensure that the normalcy is restored in full across the Valley so that people resumed all kinds of activities in a peaceful manner,” the army officer said.
The GOC said that this year so far 102 militants have been killed in various operations. “There have been only one or two civilian casualties and that’s because of the extra-ordinary restraint exercised by the troops,” he said.
“This year 49 youth had joined various militant ranks of which 27 were killed. It doesn’t give us a pleasure to kill young boys. But if anybody picks up arms we will do what we are doing”, the Corps Commander said.
The GoC said that there was a limited success in persuading the youth who get trapped in encounters, to surrender. “But we have been able to prevent the new recruitment and to identity those behind the militant recruitment in Kashmir. My appeal to the people across Kashmir is to come forward and help us preventing youth from treading the wrong path and to bring back those who have picked up arms,” he said, adding that “We assure them proper rehabilitation.”
The DGP said that the mission of police is to stabilize peace in J&K and they are continuously working towards that. “During this year, there were number of successful operations against militants and most of them have been clean with least collateral damage. For that, I would like to compliment field officers who remain present during the operation,” he said.
Singh said that killing a local militant doesn’t bring pleasure to forces, nor to his family and the civil society. “But a person with gun is a threat to everybody. There have been a large number of civilian killings and attacks on security forces, we can’t ignore that. We have to take required action and we will continue to do that,” he said.
The DGP said that he was happy to see new recruitment into militancy going down drastically. “This is because of the joint efforts of parents, police, army, civil society and officers on the ground, who maintain a close contact with the families, whose children tread a wrong path,” he said. “The number of youth, who were on the brink of joining militancy, and were brought back on time, is huge.”
About the two anti-militancy operations in the past 24 hours in South Kashmir districts, the DGP said that both the operations were clean and there was no collateral damage. “At Meej, Pampore local Jamia Masjid was used by militants, after they ran away from the target house. The Field Commanders exercised a lot of restraint and kept the area under cordon. The Field Commanders used slightly different tactics and ways to handle the operation and I am happy this morning the operation was over in a clean manner,” he said.
Singh said that there was not even a minutest damage to the Masjid. “I am glad to see local people hailing the security agencies for the clean operation and not causing any sort of damage to the mosque. Many videos are viral in this regard on social media,” he said. The DGP said that at Shopian district, five militants were killed and they belonged to Hizb and Lashkar.
“This year so far over a 100 militants were killed. Fifty belonged to Hizb and 20 were each from Lashkar and Jaish. Remaining belonged to Ansaar Gazwatul Hind and Al-Badr etc,” he said, adding that in Jammu region almost half-a dozen militants were killed. “Doda district of Jammu is almost militancy free as there is only one militant active. In Kishtwar militancy is on a last leg as only three militants are active there.”
The DGP appealed the gun-wielding youth willing to surrender to lay their weapons confidentially stating that they would get all the support to lead a new peaceful life. He said that in the coming days, security forces will give full chance to the militants who get trapped in encounters to surrender. “We will give them ample time to think and lay down weapons,” he said.
The IGP Kashmir while replying to a query that whether militancy stands wiped out from South Kashmir, said that there are still 12 more days left for the current month. “I had stated earlier that from next month, we will shift focus to North Kashmir. Let this month end first. In the remaining days, we will clean remaining militants from South and accordingly move to North,” he said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
