Sizable foreign militants in Kashmir, lying low: DGP
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, June 21: Three top Lashkar-e-Toiba commanders, including a foreigner were killed in an overnight gun battle in Sopore area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district. These militants were involved in several attacks in the area including a recent attack on security forces in the town.
Inspector General of Police, Vijay Kumar told Excelsior that acting on a tip off, joint teams of police, Army and CRPF laid a siege at Gund-Brath village of Sopore.
He said that the trio were Lashkar commanders wanted for several cases, and identified them as Mudasir Pandith alias Muda of Dangerpora, Sopore, Asrar alias Abdullah from Pakistan, and Khurshid Ahmed Mir from Brath Kalan, Sopore. He said that a solider was also injured in the encounter who was evacuated to base hospital where his condition is stated to be stable.
The IGP said that Mudasir Pandit had a long history of militancy including attacks on security forces and civilians. He said that he was involved in attack on Fruit Merchants at Dangerpora on September 06-2019 in which four civilians were injured. He said that he was also involved in killing of several ex-militants, Hurriyat activists, Sapanches and Panches in Sopore area.
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He said that Khursheed Mir who was the part of this group was involved in attack on CRPF at Lawaypora area of Srinagar in March, in which three CRPF personnel were killed.
“Foreign militant Abdullah alias Asrar was active in North Kashmir since 2018 and remained the part of the group and several crime cases were also registered against him for his involvement in civilian atrocities and attacks on Police/ security forces”, he said.
A police spokesman said that arms, ammunition and other incriminating materials were recovered from the site of encounter.
A police spokesman said that during the intervening night of 20/21 June, acting on a specific information generated by Sopore Police about presence of militant in Gund-Brath area of Sopore, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Sopore Police, CRPF and 22RR.
“During the search operation as the presence of militants got ascertained they were given an opportunity to surrender. However, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the initial exchange of fire, an Army soldier sustained injury,” the police spokesman said.
“As per police records, all the killed militants were part of group involved in various crimes and several cases were registered against them including attack at Municipal office Sopore on March 29 in which two Municipal Councillors and one police personnel were killed. They were also involved in attack on police party of Police Station Sopore on June 12 at Main Chowk Sopore in which two police personnel and two civilians were killed and two more police personnel and two civilians were injured.”
The IGP said that the slain militants were hiding in a house whose son was also a militant. “I urge the family members of militants not to give shelter to active militants. Then they blame the police for misbehaving with them….The families of militants should refrain from providing food and shelter to active militants,” the IGP said.
“As you are aware, we had circulated posters displaying the images of all three wanted militant commanders. This helped us to track their movement. In this process, locals helped and cooperated with us as well,” the IGP said.
Kumar said that two things are destroying Kashmiri youth-indulging in narcotics and falling prey to indoctrination. “I urge parents to resort to parental control and see where their children spend days and in what activities their children are involved,” the IGP said.
Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh today said that this year, only two foreign militants were killed in Kashmir and that a good number of foreign militants are still present in the Valley but they are lying low.
Addressing a press conference at PCR Srinagar, Singh said that this year only two foreign militants have been killed in Kashmir and both were killed in Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district including one today.
“Both the slain foreigners were from Lashkar-e-Toiba. There is a good number of foreign militants present in Kashmir still but they are lying low. So it would be wrong to claim that Kashmir is free from foreign militants,” he said.
About infiltration, he said that the fresh ceasefire pact between India and Pakistan in February this year has helped check infiltration to a large extent. “We welcome that,” he said.
On whether there is any militant active in Srinagar, he said that there are a couple of militants from Srinagar who are operating in the city outskirts. “We have seen one or two incidents in Srinagar. We can’t filter 100 percent movement of militants but in near future, we will launch operations in Srinagar city as well,” he said.
He added that narcotics and weapon smuggling is taking place from Kupwara sector and huge quantities of narcotics and weapons were seized recently. “On the LoC and IB in Jammu, there was infiltration of narcotics and weapons through drones which has stopped for now,” he said.
Present on the occasion, General Officer Commanding of Army’s Kilo Force, H S Sahi said that the Sopore operation was conducted in a built up area which is always a difficult thing. “We ensured that there is no collateral damage. A soldier received a bullet injury in his shoulder, who was evacuated to base hospital where his condition is stable,” he added.
The GOC Kilo Force said that the primary focus of the army is to break the local-foreign militant nexus and to plug the recruitment to prevent further bloodshed in Kashmir. “I appeal to civil society and people of Kashmir to cooperate with us so that we break this network. Breaking this network is important to stop the cycle of violence,” he said. “I appeal to local militants to leave gun culture and join the mainstream. If they don’t they will meet the similar fate as that of slain in Sopore gunfight today”, he added.
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