Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, June 10: General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Chinar Corps, Lt General Subrata Saha, today said that surgical operation conducted by the Army’s special forces in Myanmar against North East insurgents was as per the situation and circumstances.
When asked about the possibility of the Myanmar like strikes against the militant camps along the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), the GOC said: “Manipur incident is according to the situation and circumstances there.”
Lt General Saha said that the surgical operation against insurgents on Myanmar border was response or reaction to a particular situation. “I would not like to connect one with the other. A response or reaction to any operational situation is based on the situation in that area”, he added.
The GOC said that situation in Kashmir can’t be linked to that of Manipur. “I do not think it is professionaly right to link one (situation) with another”, he said.
It may be mentioned here that assisted by Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force, Army’s para commandos struck two camps of militants and inflicted significant casualties. The two camps are estimated to have had a total of about 150 militants and both were liquidated.
The hot pursuit followed after June 4, militants ambush on an Army convoy killing 18 soldiers of Dogra regiment in the Chandel district of Manipur.
Lt General Saha while commenting on the killing of a Hurriyat Conference (G) activist, Mohammad Altaf Sheikh, at Sopore yesterday said that killing of political workers disturb the security situation. “Such incidents (killing of political workers) disturb the security situation”, he said.
The GOC said that security forces have to respond to the emerging challenges in Kashmir. “The security system does get upset and the security agencies have to respond to the challenges as they are emerging”, he said.
Lt General Saha said that killing of the Hurriyat activist will be known only after investigations. “Was it a terrorist action, criminal action or a fringe action will be known only after investigations?”, he said.
Sheikh was killed by unknown gunmen in Sopore area of North Kashmir. Police blamed militants for the killing while Hurriyat Conference chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani blamed agencies.
In the meantime, a shutdown was observed in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district today against the killing of Sheikh Altaf. Shops and business establishments remained closed in Baramulla, Sopore and other towns and public transport was off the roads. However, private vehicles were moving normally.
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