Militants feel threatened by increased political activities: IG CRPF

Adil Lateef
SRINAGAR, Nov 13: Inspector General (Operations) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Zulfikar Hassan today said the militants in South Kashmir are feeling threatened by increased political activities and “are thus attacking the workers of political parties”.
“As we all have seen that political activity is picking up and many political leaders are visiting (South Kashmir). Feeling threatened (by political activities), some political leaders have been attacked and killed (by militants),” the Inspector General of CRPF told reporters during his visit to Pulwama district. He was responding to a question with regard to increasing attacks on political workers in southern districts.
Only today, another video of militants beating and threatening a political worker namely Gulzar Ahmad affiliated with Congress in Shopian district went viral on social networking sites, the senior paramilitary officer said the security forces are alert to tackle such attacks and are increasing their presence to give a sense of security to people. “We are alert in this regard and we are trying that more and more security remains in place, so that political activity keeps going and common man remains safe,” he said.

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Hassan said that security forces have gunned down many Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants who had infiltrated into Kashmir this year while others too would be neutralized. “Some people of Jaish-e-Mohammad had infiltrated and many of them have been killed and I hope that rest of them, who have survived, would soon fall in the dragnet of police, CRPF and (Army’s) RR (Rashtriya Rifles),” he said. Admitting fresh recruitment of militants in Valley, the senior paramilitary officer urged local boys to give up the gun and join mainstream.
“There has been some recruitment about which we have some information. Many things are being done to tackle (recruitment). You have seen Jammu and Kashmir Police and we (CRPF) also have appealed those youths who have joined militancy and have gone with militants to not join them and instead join mainstream and surrender. We will do whatever we can for them after surrender. We want to give them (militants) confidence that we (security forces) believe in (their) surrender (rather than killing),” he said.
The Inspector General of CRPF said militants can strike any time but they are ready. “Militant attack, Fidayeen attack can take place anytime and we are completely ready for that. If they carry out Fidayeen attack, they would be then dealt accordingly,” he said.

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