Condemn the killing of Umar Fayaz: Army chief tells Kashmiris
Army chief today called on Kashmiris to condemn the killing of Umar Fayaz, who was abducted and killed on Wednesday in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
According to the Indian Express, Bipin Rawat said that the whole country is proud of Lieutenant Umar Fayaz.
“The young officer was a role model for all young Kashmiris. The way things are, this action has taken Kashmiris back while Lieutenant Ummer was taking it forward. He was encouraging other young people to join a force which the whole country is proud of,” he said.
The Army chief said “these people are discouraging Kashmiris from availing job opportunities while thousands of people line up for police recruitment. How can they explain this dichotomy? This act (of Lieutenant Ummer’s murder) should be condemned by all Kashmiris.”
Rawat said that Army believes that all Kashmiris are not involved in the militancy
“Our job is to separate the terrorists from the Kashmiri people and target the terrorists”. He told the national daily.
“We understand that all Kashmiris are not involved in the so-called militancy. There are few, select in number, who indulge in terror and violence. Our job is to separate the terrorists from the Kashmiri people and target the terrorists.” He added.
Meanwhile, Bipin Rawat, according to the newspaper, rejected claims that the Army has returned to Cordon and Search Operations (CASO) in the Valley as part of its counter-insurgency strategy in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We are not returning to classical CASO in Kashmir, because we know they cause hardship to the local people. These are area search operations. It is not even a cordon,” General Rawat said.
KV Correspondent
