Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): The number of active terrorists in Kashmir at present is somewhere between 100 to 200 even as 106 ultras have been killed so far, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vijay Kumar said today.
Addressing a press conference at police control room Srinagar, the IGP Kashmir said that when he took charge, there were 252 active militants in Kashmir and at present, the number is between 100 and 200. “The reason for this number is that there may have been some successful infiltration bids…,” he said.
The IGP said that police don’t go by numbers and its job is to kill militants wherever it gets a lead about their presence.
On today’s encounter at Zonimar, Kadikadal area of Srinagar’s downtown, the Kashmir police chief said that late last night, police received a tip-off about the presence of three militants. “A siege was laid and hectic efforts were made to ensure surrender of militants. Two of the three were locals and we brought their families and made repeated announcements on loudspeakers through area elders and also by the parents,” he said, adding that the hiding militants lobbed grenades and fired at the security forces, triggering an encounter. “In the ensuing encounter, they were killed,” he said.
Two of them have been identified and their families will be allowed to participate in the last rites either in Handwara or Baramulla district of north Kashmir. “The identity of the third slain terrorist is being ascertained,” he said.
The IGP said that the slain militants were listed as the Islamic State of J&K militants as per police records but there were reports that they had joined Hizbul of late. “One AK-47 rifle and two pistols were recovered from the slain militants,” he said, adding that the operation was held in a very clean manner and there was no collateral damage for which CRPF and police deserve applause.
Asked whether Srinagar was witnessing a resurgence of militancy, the IGP said if there are no anti-militancy operations taking place in any district, that doesn’t mean militancy isn’t there. “There are two active militants in Srinagar at present. Srinagar being the Central district is used by militants to receive funds and meet group leaders and other associates,” he said.
About the identity of slain militants, the IGP said one of the two local slain militants has been identified as Shakoor Farooq Langoo of Qamarwari, Srinagar. “He was involved in the killing of two BSF men at Soura and had also snatched their weapons. There were other militants also involved, but Shakoor was the one who had fired at BSF men,” Kumar said.
He said that police and CRPF teams acted professionally and didn’t damage the house where the trio was hiding. “This is for the first time in history that militant leadership in Kashmir stands collapsed. In the recent months, we have been able to kill all the leaders of the four major outfits: Hizbul, Lashkar, Jaish and Ansaar Gazwatul Hind (AGH),” he said.
-ARK
