Srinagar:: Four Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed in an encounter with government forces on Monday in South Kashmir’s Shopian district, police said.
Government forces launched a cordon and search operation in Manihal village of the district around midnight, following information about the presence of militants there, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vijay Kumar said. He said the militants refused repeated offers of surrender and opened fire at the forces.
“We appealed to them to surrender and brought their families, including wife and a four-year-old child of a militant, to appeal to them to surrender. But they refused,” he said.
Kumar said after the militants opened fire at the forces personnel , there was a gunbattle in which four ultras were killed.
“All the four were categorised militants belonging to LeT outfit. Although, they call themselves as Lashkar-e-Mustafa, they are listed as LeT militants in our records and all these names, including TRF (The Resistance Front) are the offshoots of the LeT or Jaish-e-Mohammad,” he said.
The IGP said three pistols and an AK rifle was recovered from the site of the encounter. The militants were identified as Rayees Ahmad Bhat, who was active since October last year, Amir Shafi Mir, active since last month, Raqib Ahmad Malik, active since December last year and Aftab Ahmad Wani, active since November last year.
An Army trooper was injured in the encounter and is undergoing treatment at a hospital here, he added. The IGP said so far this year nine encounters have taken place in the valley with most of them – eight – in south Kashmir, while one in the north.
“In these nine encounters, 19 militants have been killed, out of which nine alone were from Shopian district and two were top commanders,” Kumar said.
He said 18 youths have joined the militant ranks this year, out of which five have been killed in various encounters and three have been arrested.
“The rest are still active and we have been appealing to their parents to bring them back to the mainstream. Some may return. Also, seven youth who had joined the militancy have been brought back with the help of their families. The parents have increased their trust in the security forces,” he added.
Kumar said Pakistan was not refraining from its activities and was using social media for inciting and radicalising youth to join militancy.
“Also, drugs are coming from Pakistan and our youth are being destroyed. I appeal the parents to take care of their children and if anyone is using drugs, then counsel him. They can approach the Police’s drug de-addiction centre and we will help them,” he said.
The youth not only join militancy due to drugs but get involved in other social evils and crimes, he added. The IGP said the police will render all help to those youth who surrender their arms and leave militancy.
“I appeal to those who have taken up arms to surrender whether before an encounter or even during it. We will provide all possible help, you will be accepted and will not face any problem,” he said.
Referring to the security situation in the valley, the IGP said the focus of the government forces was to maintain an atmosphere of peace.
“We would like to maintain two things. The schools and colleges should not be closed which can happen only when there is no incident and the atmosphere is good. Second, we would like to create such an atmosphere that tourists come here in huge numbers so that people here get employment and earn money,” he said.
Kumar said while there has been a decline in the number of stone-pelting incidents, especially near the encounter sites, it was a larger issue than militancy as it involves the society and leads to disruption in day-to-day activities.
“When there is an attack by militants, schools and colleges are not closed, economic activity is not stopped, yatra is not stopped and tourist arrivals do not stop. But, when there is stone-pelting, there is a decrease in the yatra, tourists fear to come and schools and colleges are shut. Stone-pelting is a larger issue which involves society and so we take it more seriously,” the IGP said.
“We are fully ready for the summer months. We have devised a plan and checkpoints will be increased, some camps will be shifted, and as we will get additional force after elections (in some states of the country), we will plug all the gaps… Pilgrims will not face any problems,” Kumar said.
The 56-day yatra to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Amarnath in the South Kashmir Himalayas is scheduled to start from the twin routes of Pahalgam and Baltal on June 28 and culminate on August 22.
“Our officers go on the ground to physically check for chances of security lapses and to see whether additional forces are required or where drones can be used and equipment be placed and also for the placement of 24-hour nakas. We are fully alert, and there will be fool-proof security arrangements,” Kumar added.
On the threat of sticky bombs and IEDs, the IG said yatra routes would be fully sanitised, and there would be 24-hour patrolling and nakas.
“This time the (yatra) routes will not be left unsecured even during the night. There will be deployment, mobile bunker vehicle patrolling and NVD (night vision devices), and drones will also be used 24 hours,” he said.
Describing sticky bombs as a problem but “not a big worry”, Kumar said security vehicles will be fitted with 360-degree cameras and distance will be maintained with civilian vehicles.
“I am sure the public will support us fully. There will be a time factor also a time frame for the yatra vehicles. They will not be allowed in a mix-way,” he said, adding the yatra will be monitored through CCTV cameras and drones round-the-clock.
Asked if there are any specific inputs about militant attacks on the yatra or the security forces during the pilgrimage, the IG said that expecting the militants not to attack was not right.
“Pakistan would always want to continue infiltration, there is no doubt about that. If not through the Line of Control, then through the International Border or Nepal. But, we are fully alert,” he said.
“As far as attacks on nakas are concerned, there are still about 200 militants in Kashmir and expecting that there will not be any action by them is not right. They will try and most of them we will stop through preventive intelligence, but when there is an attempt, we will neutralise that,” Kumar said.
The IG said the Army, CRPF and the police are all on alert.
He said militancy does not make much difference to the security forces in comparison to stone-pelting and law and order issues.
“We do not want schools and colleges to be closed, shops and businesses to be shut or tourist arrivals to stop, so the law and order problem is a more serious issue,” he said.
Kumar said the police have made several arrests whenever there is such an incident and many youth have been booked under the Public Safety Act.
