Militants who surrender will be welcomed with open arms: IGP
Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Monday made a joint surrender offer to militants who are active in Kashmir.
Addressing a joint press conference in Srinagar, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Muneer Khan said officers who help in surrender of militants will be rewarded.
“During the last few days we have had two clean operations where four militants were killed. In Shopian we ensured that one militant identified as Arif who lost his balance and could not fire at the forces was captured alive. The troops could have neutralised him but since he was offered to surrender he accepted the offer and dropped his weapon,” the IGP said.
“He (Adil) could’ve been killed by forces. We preferred to give him chance to live and come to mainstream. That’s why caught him alive,” said Khan, while referring to the militant who was arrested at the gunfight site in Shopian yesterday.
“We ask all the militants active in Kashmir to come forward and surrender. This is not that during encounters they can drop their weapons, but they are welcome otherwise and if they decide to join the mainstream we will welcome them with open arms,” the IGP said.
Khan said that during Kulgam encounter today, forces captured another OGM who was not armed but ‘was acting as a lifeline’ for militants.
“We could have killed him and nobody would have raised any question. But since we are a disciplined force we decided to capture him and wished that he joins his family back,” the IGP said.
He said that unlike the forces, militants act cowardly and target policemen while they are in their native villages to see their parents or they are playing with their friends.
KV Correspondent
