SRINAGAR, July 27:
The situation in Kashmir was “under control but fragile” and the number of stone-pelting incidents in the Valley has decreased, a senior officer of the CRPF said today.
Inspector General of the CRPF, Srinagar, Ravideep Singh Sahi told reporters here that around 250 militants were active in the Valley.
“The situation in the Kashmir valley is under control but fragile. We have seen a reduction in the number of stone- pelting incidents in the recent past,” he said.
The Army, security forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police are conducting coordinated counter-insurgency operations in a “very organised way and we have got lot of success”, he said.
Sahi said things have improved over the last three months in terms of law and order and anti-militancy operations.
The reduction in the number of stone-pelting incidents was a result of social initiatives and the people in the Valley “have realised that stone-pelting is not very fruitful”, the officer said.
“People are getting fed up of all this because it has no positive results. At the same time, security forces are also trying to reach out (to them) … Various kinds of initiatives are there,” he said.
The CRPF IG said the number of militants in the entire Kashmir valley “would be around 250. The number keeps on changing”.
He said the CRPF played an important role in several encounters and joint operations.
“Around 75 militants were neutralised (this year) because of the active involvement of the force,” he said.
Asked about Kashmiri youths joining militant ranks, Sahi said a few youths have taken up arms, but the number was “not too much”.
“It is not that a large number of youths are joining (militancy). There have been a few reports from the Kashmir valley, especially from Srinagar. We are aware of it. Our operations and efforts to eliminate militancy will continue,” he said. (PTI)
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