Irfan A Mir
Srinagar, Oct 28 (KNS): Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir range Vijay Kumar on Wednesday said that youth who had gone astray under false narrative by anti-national elements have started to surrender before forces during live encounters. He appealed local militants to come back and join their families for a dignified life.
Talking to reporters in Srinagar, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said a good development reported this year that surrenders took place during live encounters. He said those youth who had gone astray and came under false narrative carried out by anti-national elements have started to surrender before forces during live encounters.
IGP said that security forces are using every professional mean during encounters to persuade trapped militants to surrender. “This year eight militants surrendered during live encounters in Kashmir valley of which five militants surrendered in the month of October alone”, the IGP said.
Terming the surrender move by militants a “big development”, the IGP said during encounter forces are using professional measures to deal with the situation aimed to save the lives. “We don’t want to kill those who were allured to violence. We are using every mean to save them while persuading them to surrender”, he said.
He added that gun-wielding youth have understood that they had come under false narrative carried by anti-national elements and have started to surrender before forces.
Reiterating his appeal to local militants to eschew the path of violence and bloodshed, IGP said that we will give every chance to local militants to surrender and join the mainstream for a dignified and respectable life.
While divulging details of Mochwa encounter that falls under the Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, the IGP said that acting upon a specific input, a joint Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) was launched by Srinagar Police, Budgam Police, Army and CRPF who laid siege in Mouchwa area on Tuesday late hours, however when contact was established with the hiding militants, they fired at the forces triggering an encounter in the area. “On Wednesday morning two militants were killed during exchange of fire identified as Ilyas, a Pakistani militant and Javed Ahmad of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district”, IGP said.
He maintained that the role of Ilyas in highway attacks can’t be ruled out and that police is investigating his involvement.
He added militants trapped in Mochwa encounter were given full opportunity to surrender but they refused.
“I once again appeal to parents to urge their youth who have joined militant ranks to return back to the mainstream and live a dignified life with their families”, IGP said.
When asked about the encounters taking place in Srinagar district, the IGP claimed that there is a strong human intelligence network and other technical information in place which frustrated the designs of militants who had chosen Srinagar for their subversive activities. (KNS)