Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Mar 28: Inspector General of Police (IGP), A G Mir said that security forces are alert and have foiled several attempts by militants to carry out strikes in Kashmir valley but hold sleeper cells responsible for recent attacks.
While speaking to media on the sidelines of a function in Baramulla, Mir ruled out any major infiltration bids into Kashmir. “I don’t have information that can say that number of militants has increased tremendously”, he added.
Mir said that there are around 100 known Pakistani and local militants in Kashmir valley and they can be called full time militants. “But there is other danger also that there are certain persons who are not known militants and they can be called sleeper cells. Sometimes an incident is perpetrated by sleeper cells. We are tackling both the aspects”, he added.
Mir said that there is no zero militancy in Kashmir valley. “We have inputs and we work on them and we have been able to avoid militant attacks”, he added.
Mir ruled out surge in militant incidents in Kashmir valley. “If we compare it with the three months of last year it is showing down ward trend”, he added.
Mir said that there have been some incidents in Srinagar especially Fidayeen attack and some incidents in North Kashmir. “We have worked out some of them and we are working on others and we will the perpetrators of these acts soon”, he added.
The problem in Kashmir this time is that there is disruption of normal life sometimes by strikes called by separatists. “And second is the violence perpetrated by militants in different parts of Kashmir” he added. He said that first priority of the police and security forces is to restore normal life in Kashmir and second is to fight the militancy.
In the meantime, a strike called by a group of separatists demanding return of bodies of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru evoked mixed response in Kashmir Valley today.
Private vehicles were plying normally in most parts of the summer capital while some public transport was also seen plying.
Shops and business establishments in old city, the commercial hub of Lal Chowk and its surrounding areas remained closed due to the strike, while in parts of city shops were open.
The strike called by Majlis Mashawarat (Consultation Committee), an amalgamation of separatist groups, evoked a mixed response. Government offices and banks remained open but educational institutions remained closed.
In the meantime, a police party led Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) operations Zainapora, Irshad Ahmad was attacked by militants in Imam Sahib area of Shopian adjacent to the SOG and the Army camp yesterday.
The DySP had arrived from Shopian and the police party was purchasing eatables, when unidentified gunmen opened fire on them. The police party retaliated, however, nobody was injured in exchange of fire.
Unidentified gunmen shot at and injured a Panchayat member in frontier district of Kupwara yesterday. The Panchayat member, Noor Ahmad Khan son of Muhammad Abdullah Khan a resident of Bongam Haihama, was attacked at 5.45 am by unidentified gunmen, when he was on way to Masjid to offer the morning prayers.
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