“I admit there is a security situation in Rajouri-Poonch, militants don’t hide in houses, they take shelter in caves, woods, very, very limited people supporting them, we will deal with them effectively, strategy devised can’t be discussed in public”
Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir’s Police chief R R Swain Saturday said that foreign militants are getting some support from “our territory” and police was mindful of the security situation in the region.
Addressing the year-end press conference in Jammu, DGP Swain said that he has already admitted that there is a security situation in “Rajouri-Poonch region.” “There are foreign fighters who have some support coming from our territory. Their (those supporting foreign militants) number is very, very limited,” he said. “The foreign fighters hide in houses with the result that information flow is less. They hide in caves, jungles and wilderness.”
As far as the counter-strategy, the DGP Swain said that the same can’t be discussed before the media. “We have discussed the issue and strategy at the top level. We will effectively deal with it,” he said.
Recently, four soldiers were killed and two others injured in Poonch district of Jammu when heavily armed militants attacked an army vehicle at Dera Ki Gali. After the incident, many civilians were taken for questioning and three civilians allegedly died in army custody which triggered a massive public outcry. The incident had forced army chief General Manoj Pande and Union defence minister Rajnath Singh to visit the area to calm the nerves. Union Minister Singh visited the hospital to meet the civilians allegedly tortured and also the families of three slain civilians. He assured them that justice will be delivered.
To a query that PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has alleged that she wasn’t allowed to meet the families of three slain in Poonch, DGP Swain said that the job of the police is to ensure that the visit is not leveraged in a malicious manner. Replying to a query about whether Rajouri-Poonch region was going back to what it was between 1997 to 2003, the DGP said that police are mindful and that there is a gap between past and present situation. “We will fill this gap…,” he said
