Srinagar: Claiming that militants have gone into hiding after several successful counter-insurgency operations in the valley, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Muneer Khan said they have given space to foreigners to carry out attack on security forces.
Mr Khan, while talking to reporters on the sideline of a function here Wednesday, acknowledge that militants have stopped using mobile phone which makes it difficult to track them now. The comment by the IGP comes days after top brass of different militants group operating in the state, asked militants to stop using mobile phones.
However, he said, security forces are against them and we have to change the strategy.
“After successful operations during which security forces killed top militant commanders in the last couple of months, it is obvious that they have gone into hiding to save themselves. They have gone into hiding in higher reaches of the valley. The way they used to roam freely in the towns has stopped,” he said.
“They have given space to foreign militants, like Jaish-e-Mohammad. Three of JeM militants were killed in the Pulwama encounter. There are still two groups of JeM operating in south Kashmir and outskirts of Srinagar,” Mr Khan said.
Reacting to reports that a high alert has been issued in Srinagar, he said we have just asked our officers and jawans to be cautious after the Pulwama attack. Eight security force personnel, four each of police and CRPF, were killed in a fidayeen attack on District Police Line (DPL) Pulwama last week. The three JeM militants who carried out the attack were also killed in 18 hour long gunfight.
The IGP Kashmir said he asked his officers and jawans to avoid places where there is a threat to their lives. “My job is not just to give bulletproof jackets and armed vehicles to police personnel. My job is also to caution them to not go to places where there is a threat to their lives,” he added.
