Adequate arrangement for yatra: IGP
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 26: In a major success, police and Army today gunned down a dreaded militant of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit in an encounter at village Bachkundi in Bhimdassa area of Ramban district. Slain ultras was involved in a series of subversive activities including killing of three Army personnel.
Addressing a joint press conference here this afternoon, IGP Jammu Zone Dilbagh Singh and DIG Doda-Ramban range Gareeb Dass said the killing of militant has dealt a big blow to the militants in Ramban district and thwarted their plot to revive militant activities in erstwhile Doda district.
The IGP Jammu said the police was determined for a smooth Amarnath yatra for which adequate security arrangements were being made. He added that the few remaining militants would be kept away from the National Highway to ensure peaceful and smooth yatra.
The militants, who was killed in a joint operation by Ramban police and troops of 58 Rashtriya Rifles in wee hours of this morning, has been identified as Ghulam Qadir alias Toheed-ul-Islam son of Sher Mohammad Malik, a resident of village Lahni in Asthanmarg area of Ramban district.
He was active in the militancy for past six years and was involved in a series of subversive activities including killing of three Army personnel in an encounter.
SSP Ramban Anil Magotra and DySP Police Component, Gool, Deepak Digra led police teams in the joint operation.
Reports said Army and police cordoned off upper reaches of Bachkundi last night after developing a specific information about the present of Ghulam Qadir in the area. Movement of the militant was spotted at about 11 pm last night. A cordon was maintained in the area and the militant was finally challenged and asked to surrender with the Sunlight early today.
The militant opened firing and tried to escape. Police and Army retaliated and gunned down the militant in an about half an hour long gun-fight without suffering any casualties. Recoveries made from the possession of slain militant included one AK-56 rifle, three magazines, one pouch, one matrix sheet and 54 rounds of AK rifle.
The IGP Jammu said with today’s elimination of dreaded Hizbul Mujahideen commander, only four militants have been left in Ramban district and seven in Kishtwar district while Doda district was free of militancy. A total of 29 militants were active in Jammu region and barring 11 militants active in erstwhile Doda, rest were operating in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch.
This was second major success against militants after the killing of Akhter Hussain in Kishtwar district few days back, Dilbagh Singh said.
Replying to a question on safety of Amarnath pilgrims, Mr Singh said: “last year also the militants were active but we conducted peaceful and smooth pilgrimage. This year also adequate arrangements were being made for peaceful yatra. We will keep the militants away from the National Highway’’.
To another question that about 25,000 Bajrang Dal activists were planning to start Amarnath yatra on June 4 from Jammu and whether they would be stopped, the Jammu Police chief said the dates for the yatra were decided by Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) taking into account the weather and clearance operations of snow.
“Moreover talks were reportedly on between the Board and other groups to resolve the matter’’, he said, adding that every year only registered pilgrims were allowed to proceed to Amarnath shrine to avoid overcrowding and ensure that there was no law and order problem.
He said about 35 to 40 companies would be deployed in Jammu region for yatra security and rest in the Kashmir Valley. Presently, he added, police was undertaking sanitisation operations for the yatra.
On reports that one of the militant wanted by National Investigating Agency (NIA) in connection with September 7, 2010 Delhi High Court blast, Junaid Akram Malik, has been killed by his opponents, Mr Singh said: “the reports have not been confirmed’’.
He said another militant wanted by the NIA, Chhota Hafiz, narrowly survived police encounter in Kishtwar when Akhtar Hussain was killed.
Meanwhile, a joint column of Rashtriya Rifles and police today recovered a consignment of arms and ammunition from Saldhar in Mahore tehsil of Reasi district.
Recoveries included one 12 bore riddle, six cartridges, three Chinese made hand grenades, 172 AK rounds, 78 Insas rounds, four Insas magazines, 61 detonators, one electronic detonator, 36 HE hand grenades, one IED battery, one Motorola radio set, one cassette recorder and 45 pencil cells.
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