JeM establishes base in Sopore
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Jan 11: General Officer Commanding (GOC) Kilo Force, Major General AK Singh, today said that the majority of youth in Kashmir want peace and those who join militancy are just a few.
“I think, we only talk about those few hundreds who have joined terrorism. But we don’t talk about those 22 lakh Kashmiri youths who have shunned away the path of terrorism and want peace and stability in the Valley”, he said while speaking to reporters in Baramulla during a function.
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Singh said that recently joined militant of Hizbul Mujahideen Manan Wani was tricked into militancy. “I think, Manan Wani is only an exception and he has been probably tricked into this otherwise no militant gives his photograph like this. Hizbul Mujahideen has used him so that he will not join mainstream back”, he said.
The Major General said that policy of the security forces is to accept those youth into mainstream who shun the path of violence. “But our policy is that any militant who wants to join back mainstream, we always accept them”, he said.
“We will continue to fight back these incidents. Army and all the security forces in Kashmir are ready and we will do our best to stop those people who are involved in these incidents”, he said.
In the meantime, the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has established its base in Sopore area of North Kashmir and the major OGW network that was busted last week by security forces has given a major jolt to the outfit.
Sources said that there are around two dozen JeM cadres in the area and they are using IMO and BBM applications to communicate with their handlers across in Pakistan. However, security forces last week got a major success when they arrested two militants and busted a major OGW network by arresting 9 of them.
Sources said that security forces arrested two militants Mushtaq Ahmad Chopan alias Haroon son of Ghulam Mohammad Chopan resident of Wagad Tral and Shija-ud-din Sheikh son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Sheikh resident of Dadsara Tral last week. These two militants were also used the BBM and IMO.
Sources said that security forces used their BBM and IMO to bust the OGW network. They trapped the 9 OGWs by making calls to them through BBM and IMO.
Sources said that they were likely to join JeM and HM. The OGWs were identified as Tajam-ul-Islam Shah son of Mohammad Maqtoob Shah resident of Dangerpora Sopore, Syed Tamiz-ud-din son of Syed Mohi-ud-Din resident of Dangerpora Sopore, Ghulam Nabi Mir son of Mohammad Akbar Mir resident of Iqbal Nagar Sopore, Mudasir Ahmad Mir son of Mohammad Akbar Mir resident of Iqbal Nagar Sopore, Saleem Ahmad Beigh son of Mushtaq Ahmad Beigh resident of Sheikh Sahib Sopore, Muzamil Ahmad Ganie son of Ghulam Hassan Ganie resident of Sheikh Sahib Sopore, Showket Ahmad Kaboo son of Ali Mohammad Kaboo resident of Arampora Sopore, Irshad Ahmad Lone son of Abdul Rashid Lone resident of Seer Tral and Humaiz resident of Kupwara.
And security forces today launched a cordon and search Operation (CASO) against militants in the frontier district of Kupwara.
They said that on a tip off about the presence of militants, security forces and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police launched a joint search operation at Hampora, Lagate Handwara in the North Kashmir district of Kupwara.
All the exit points were sealed and a massive search operation has been launched. However, no one was arrested and no contact was established with the militants.
Security forces have reports that militants who were hiding in the woods have come down following snowfall and bone chilling cold.
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