Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 18: Militants are looking for soft targets in order to create disturbance, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbag Singh said today as he asserted that every attempt of anti-national elements to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in the Union Territory would be dealt with firmly.
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The DGP’s comments came a day after a civilian and a policeman were shot dead in separate incidents in Kulgam district.
Singh visited Kulgam in south Kashmir and Handwara area of Kupwara in North Kashmir where he led officers and relatives in paying floral tributes to Bantu Sharma and Sub-Inspector Arshid Ahmad Mir.
While Sharma was killed on Friday, Mir was shot dead in Khanyar area of the city on September 12.
The DGP also chaired officers’ meetings to review the security situation in these districts and directed the officers to keep a strict watch on the suspicious elements and Over Ground Workers (OGWs) of militant outfits who are providing any kind of support to terrorist activities, a police spokesman said.
Senior officers of police, Army and CRPF were present in the meetings.
He said Singh directed the officers to revisit the security plans as terrorists in order to create disturbance are looking for soft targets and stressed on counter strategies and preventive measures.
The DGP emphasised the officers to remain extra alert and ordered a series of counter measures to prevent incidents like the killings of a civilian and a cop in Kulgam.
Singh said protecting the lives of people is prime concern and every attempt of anti-national elements to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in the UT would be dealt with firmly.
The Police chief directed the officers to intensify the operations against terrorists and terror support networks and stressed that terrorists involved in Friday’s killings should be brought to justice very soon.
The DGP directed the officers to augment the security of vulnerable targets and places and emphasised on putting in use the latest technology in monitoring the movement of suspicious elements.
Reiterating the importance of maintaining close synergy between the J-K Police and other agencies to meet the security challenges in the UT, Singh said the killing of infiltrators in the recent past at various border areas are the indicators that Pakistan and its agencies are making continuous attempts to disturb peace by pushing terrorists here.
He stressed upon the officers to maintain alertness on the borders and the hinterland to check the movement of anti-peace elements.
During the meetings, the officers briefed the DGP regarding the counter measures in response to the present security scenario and strategies to track down the terrorists in their respective districts, the spokesman said.
Earlier, accompanied by IGP of Kashmir Vijay Kumar, the DGP paid rich tributes to Bantu Sharma in Kulgam.
He said in the afternoon, the DGP visited the family of sub-inspector Arshad Ahmad Mir and expressed solidarity with the bereaved family.
Singh assured that every support would be provided to the family. A large number of people from the village who had come to condole the death of Ahmad interacted with the DGP, the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Militants today managed to give slip to security forces at Baghwanpora, Noorbagh area in Srinagar after firing a few shots at the police party.
A police official said that acting on specific inputs about the presence of militants in Baghwanpora area of Noorbagh, in the city, a police party laid a siege in the area.
“When the cordon was being laid, the hiding militants fired a few shots and managed to flee from the spot,” the official said
He said that a small team of police while laying cordon came under fire from militants in Noorbagh, Srinagar. “Seems militants managed to escape after dropping their weapons including one pistol and one AK-47. However, reinforcement of police and CRPF expanded the cordon in the area,” he added.
Meanwhile, a woman, who was injured in a blast in Kupwara on Thursday, succumbed to her injuries this evening, taking the death toll in the incident to two.
An official said that an injured woman identified as Janti Bagum, wife of Abdul Razaq Wani of Taratpora Kupwara succumbed to her injuries at SICU ward 17 in SMHS hospital. The toll of the deceased has reached two.
A minor girl was killed while six others were injured in an unexploded shell blast that took place in Kupwara on September 16.
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