Kulgam, Jan 14: Echoing the views of IG CRPF that the attacks on village heads might not necessarily be militancy-related, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Srinagar based 15 Corps Lt Gen Om Prakash Monday asked the Panchayat members to “inform the Army about any suspicious persons in their area.”
“There might be other angles to the killing (Panchayat representatives) as well. Investigations are on and the culprits will soon be nabbed,” GOC told reporters here.  IG CRPF, SS Sadhu had earlier said that personal animosity could also be the reason behind the attacks on Panchs and Sarpanchs.
Earlier, GOC while interacting with Panchayat members at Rashtriya Rifles (1-RR) headquarters in Frisal area of Kulgam district asked them to inform the Army about the movement of suspicious people in their respective areas.
“You should immediately inform Army as and when you find any suspicious movement in your village. The Army will take due cognizance of any threats to you,” said the GOC.
He told Panchayat members that there are some elements who don’t want peace to prevail in the valley, “If you people work in tandem with the security forces and extend full cooperation, we will surely be able to curb such elements,” he said. Talking to media about the recent skirmishes along the LoC, the GOC said that Pakistan is trying to escalate tensions.
“We are a disciplined and professional Army and no matter what the provocation, we retaliate in a very controlled manner if at all necessary,” the GOC said. He, however, said that the trade between the two parts of Kashmir has not been affected despite the latest skirmishes on the LoC.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 14 Jan 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 IST