Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Anti-militancy operations will be intensified across Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police, Dilbagh Singh said today, a day after three CRPF personnel were killed in a terror attack in Kupwara district.

The J&K DGP was speaking to media after a wreath-laying ceremony of the three slain jawans at Regional Training Centre (RTC) Humhama, on Srinagar outskirts.

Top Police, CRPF and Army officials participated in the ceremony and paid floral tributes to the deceased men before their coffins were dispatched to their respective places.

The three CRPF personnel were killed in a shootout at Wangam in Kralgund area of Handwara yesterday in which a mentally unsound boy was also killed.

“After covering their area, the CRPF men were standing in an orchard and they saw some civilians coming and asked them to stop. There were two militants behind civilians who opened fired at the CRPF men, who retaliated fully. In between, a mentally unsound boy got stuck and he also died,” DGP Singh said.

He also paid tributes to security forces personnel including two Army officers who lost their lives in the Handwara encounter.

Replying to a question on whether militants have intensified their attacks on forces, the J&K police chief said that anti-militancy operations will be further stepped up across Kashmir.

“You must have seen that security arrangements were already strengthened and anti-militancy operations were going on and these will be further intensified,” he said.

When told that security forces had declared Baramulla militancy free, the DGP said that there was no active militant in the district but there has been some infiltration and some have sneaked in and mingled with those active in Sopore area, who were already “on our radar.”

“In Handwara, the militants were chased for three days after which they were zeroed in at a house. Unfortunately, we lost two army officers, two soldiers and a police sub-inspector in the encounter,” DGP said. “They were the same officers, who had chased these militants killed in Handwara for three days,” he said, adding that security forces have to bear losses, at times. “At times, we have to bear losses too,” the J&K police chief said.

He said that whenever security forces are getting information about militants, operations are launched and militants are being chased.

“We will continue to chase the militants involved in the attacks on forces,” DGP Singh said.

Replying to a question that police is facing multiple challenges in times of Covid pandemic, he said that security forces are maintaining close synergy and working very professionally. “Police personnel in thousands are everywhere on roads, quarantine centres, with screening teams, contact tracing, at red zones, orange zones and at the same time maintaining law and order and also fighting militants very effectively. Our men are fulfilling all responsibilities in a professional manner,” he said.