Militants involved in innocent killings won’t be spared: IGP Vijay Kumar ‘Reviewed technological threat in a high-level meeting’

SRINAGAR:  Inspector General of Police Kashmir Zone Vijay Kumar today said that at least five to six militants from Lashkar-e-Taiba area are active in Kashmir capital Srinagar.

“In the first week of September last year, we had declared Srinagar free from militants but in the second week, LeT activated a militant from Barzulla Srinagar. There are five to six militants in Srinagar who are being tracked and they will be neutralized,” Vijay as per news agency Kashmir News Trust said.

While talking about the drone attacks, IGP said that they have discussed this issue in a high-level joint security meeting. “It is a technological threat and it will be taken care of,” he said.

IGP Vijay Kumar was addressing a press conference here in Kashmir capital Srinagar.

While divulging information about Hariparigam incident, IGP said that militants fired upon a policeman and when his wife and daughter tried to save him, they (militants) also fired upon them that led to the death of 3 family members including the cop.

“A Pakistani militant from Jaish and another local militant who also belongs to Jaish were involved in the attack. We have identified them and are after them,” Kumar said.

He said TRF that claim responsibilities of the attacks are lying.

“The wife and daughter of the policeman were innocent. Even policeman who was killed was innocent. It is not a crime to be part of police department. Even if a policeman participates in anti-militancy operations, it is his duty and he feeds his family by doing the government job,” he said adding that the victim was a poor SPO and militants have shown their brutal face.

Kumar said that Awantipora zone is the hub of Jaish militants where joint forces have managed to neutralize some top Jaish commanders.

He said from some days, militants are targeting innocent civilians and policemen. “Militants want to create fear psychosis in Kashmir to disrupt economy and tourism. They want to deprive people of earning their livelihood.

IGP Vijay Kumar also shared information about Maloora HMT incident in which a militant from Narbal Abrar Nabi and a Pakistani militant were killed. He said after the Lawaypora and Khushipora attacks, they had busted a module. “We had seized a vehicle used in the attacks and even arrested 10 persons. During investigation, a couple of names including of Abrar of Narbal, Nadeem and others had surfaced.”

He said a team led by DIG Amit Kumar arrested Abrar and another Pakistan militant at a Naka in Srinagar.

“One Pistol and hand grenades were recovered from their possession. On sustained interrogation he disclosed that he had kept his AK-47 rifle in a house located at Maloora. There after he was taken to that house to recover the weapon after laying proper cordon of suspected house.  When the party was entering the house to recover the alleged weapon, one of his associates a Pakistani militant hiding inside the house fired on the party. In the initial fire fight 3 CRPF personnel got injured and the Abrar accompanying the search party got hit. In the ensuing gun fire foreign militant who fired from inside the house “got killed and Abrar also got killed. Two AK-47 rifles along with ammunitions were recovered from the site.”

He said they are giving sufficient opportunity to militants to surrender during live encounters but those involved in the killing of innocent people won’t be spared.

In response to a question, IGP said that Inspector Parvez Ahemd who was killed by militants in Badhat Kanipora area was innocent. “He was neither an SOG man nor a member of anti-militant squad. He had gone to offer prayers and was shot dead just to create fear psychosis,” he said adding that police can also adopt a counter strategy to stop such attacks.

“Policemen are locals and have to visit their families. Where they will go. Militants are killing innocent people just to create disturbances and fear psychosis,” he added.

He said those involved in stray attacks are part time militants and police is tracking them. “There is a module that possess pistols,” he said. (KNT)