Will accept surrender of local militants even during encounters: IGP
Srinagar: Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir Thursday reiterated their stance of being open to accept ‘surrender’ from local militants even during encounters.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir Zone Muneer Ahmad Khan said that if any local militant raises his hand to surrender even during an encounter, he will be given a chance to return to the mainstream.
“Those who raise their hands during encounters, no bullet will be fired upon them. They will face the law and will be able to join the mainstream and live a normal life”, said Khan.
IGP also disclosed that state government is preparing a new surrender policy for local Kashmiri militants.
“The government is very keen to have a new surrender policy and has sought our suggestions. We are compiling our suggestions and will send them to the government. I am sure in near future we will have a new surrender policy in place,” he said.
Flanked by senior officers of the army and CRPF, Khan addressed media and shared detailed about the ongoing operation in Kund village of Kulgam district in South Kashmir.
He said that one militant was killed and three arrested in the ongoing operation so far that also saw an army jawan being killed.
“Based on a specific input about presence of a six militant joint group of Hizb and Lashkar, we started the operation. As soon as we cordoned the area, militants fired indiscriminately upon forces in which a jawan of 10 Sikh regiment died,” Khan said.
“It was during this initial exchange of fire that militant Muzamil Badoo was also killed,” he added.
During the course of the operation, three militants were apprehended and have been identified as Shamsul Viqar, Bilal Sheikh and Atta Muhammad.
Muhammad was arrested in injured condition at a health facility in Kulgam in a joint operation by police, CRPF and Army, he said.
“Atta Muhammad was injured during the encounter. He had a bullet injury in his leg and was on a verge of death. His death would not have mattered as he was injured during the encounter but our jawans, whose colleague was martyred, took him to the hospital,” Khan said.
“Sticking to our commitments of giving chance to local militants to return to the mainstream, in spite of the fact that our jawan was killed, we apprehended three militants alive during the operation,” Khan added.
When asked about footballer turned militant Majid Khan, Munir Khan said that it didn’t matter whether Majid was a footballer or not.
“We should not highlight his footballer side as he has become a militant. Instead, we should focus on how he could return to his family and the mainstream. His family wants him back and it is our duty to second that effort. We will do everything possible to help,” he said.
Khan also said that Pakistan is using social media to lure the youth towards militancy. “Relentless social media campaign has been started by Pakistan to lure youth to join militancy,” he said.
KV Correspondent
