SRINAGAR: Amid rising cases of the terror attacks on civilians, the security forces responded by neutralizing as many as 100 terrorists in the Kashmir valley so far this year. Among the terrorists neutralized, 30 were Pakistani nationals, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Zone, Vijay Kumar said.
On Sunday security forces eliminated four terrorists in two different encounters. Three terrorists were killed in the Pulwama district while Adil Parray was eliminated in a chance encounter in Srinagar.
Among the 100 terrorists killed, 62 belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)/The Resistant Front (TRF) while 24 were from Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Security forces also neutralised 10 Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terrorists while two Al-Badr and one Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGUH) terrorists were also killed.
Officials in the security establishment said that at present, aggressive operations are being conducted against terrorists across the Valley. But though the security forces have upped the operations to wipe out terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, the terrorist organizations are still trying to infiltrate and recruit innocent youth by radicalizing them.
“This is the first time that the total number of (militants) has come down below 200 across Kashmir,” IGP Kumar had said. “It is also the first time in history that the number of local (militants) is below 100 – at 85 or 86,” he had said.
Before a topmost militant of the terror outfit, TRF was killed in a brief encounter in Srinagar on Sunday, the security forces had killed three militants in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.
“There have been very successful operations since January this year. We will continue in the same manner,” a senior police officer told The New Indian. “The operations have been intensified across Kashmir.”
The officer said that “ample chances” were being given to militants to surrender. “It involves a lot of restraint on our part during operations and we are willing to do that. If local militants are willing to surrender, our doors are open,” the officer said.
The officer said they have been directed to evolve more and more effective mechanisms and augment the security grids in the border and hinterland to ensure public safety.
He maintained that the “cowardly attacks” on innocent civilians show the “frustration of terror handlers” and stressed stringent action against the elements inimical to peace and perpetrators of violence.
“Collective efforts are required to defeat saboteurs and enemies of peace,” the officer said. “Terrorists are attempting to create a sense of fear and terror among the general public. Officers have been asked to remain extra vigilant and alert so that they can foil the evil attempts of terrorists,” the officer said.