LeT militants killed in Sopore gunfight involved in major attacks: DGP Dilbag Singh

Srinagar, Jun 21: Director General of Police J&K,Dilbag Singh Monday said that the three LeT militants killed an overnight gunfight at Gund Brath area of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district had carried out two major attacks in the area since March 29 wherein seven people including two three cops were killed.

The encounter that broke out late last night with police claiming to have killed the three LeT militants in the firefight this morning.

   

Addressing a press conference at Police Control Room (PCR) Srinagar, the DGP, who was flanked by IGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar and General Officer Commanding of Army’s Kilo Force, H S Sahi, was quoted by news agency KNO saying said the encounter was “a very important operation for police and security forces”.

He said the trio was involved in many militancy related incidents that included “killing of civilians, security forces personnel, former militants, Sarpanchs and Hurriyat/separatist leaders/activists in north Kashmir”.

Most recently, the group was involved in two major attacks in Sopore area— one on March 29 in which two Municipal councillors and a policeman were killed and another in which two policemen and two civilians were killed in main market Sopore on June 12, the DGP said.

Giving further details of the operation, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that the slain militants were hiding in a house whose owner’s son was also a militant.

The IGP urged families 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 claimed.

“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.

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 said.

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 valence,” 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”.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

three × 1 =