Now ‘surgical operation’ will be done

Srinagar: Almost all the terrorists involved in the killings of civilians in Jammu and Kashmir last month have been neutralised. The armed forces are now focusing on intelligence-based “surgical operations” involving small teams to deal with terror activities. This information has been given on Sunday.

Security agencies said a “refined” approach to tackling terrorism has been put in place under a more nuanced framework of better coordination between the Jammu and Kashmir Police, intelligence agencies and the military. Its aim is to reduce the damage caused by terrorism.

Let us tell you that the number of killings of innocent civilians increased significantly in Jammu and Kashmir last month. This raised the possibility of increasing violence and upheaval in the region. Sources said that the main focus of the operation against terrorism is to stop the killing of innocent people. All branches of the security forces are trying to achieve this.

That is why the focus is on “intelligence-based surgical operations”. Small teams are included in this. The focus is on getting support from the local population for such actions. Sources said that as per intelligence inputs, Pakistan-based terror handlers have instructed their proxies operating in Kashmir to kill at least 10 civilians whenever security forces launch an anti-terrorist operation.

In 2018, 24 civilians were killed and 49 were injured in various anti-terrorist operations, he said. Sources said that in the last three years, the security forces took several measures to protect civilians and as a result of such efforts, only two civilians were killed and two suffered minor injuries.

Asked about the encounter at Hyderpora in Srinagar, he said a certain section is focusing on capturing the “lost space”. Jammu and Kashmir Police Chief Dilbagh Singh on Thursday said that the ongoing investigation into the Hyderpora encounter reveals that terrorists had the backing of a network in carrying out terrorist activities.

Sources said the security forces are getting support including actionable intelligence from local people in several parts of Jammu and Kashmir as they rejected the “false propaganda” being run by Pakistan.

Sources claimed that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is under control and pointed out that only 121 incidents were reported in 2021 as compared to 318 terror-related incidents in 2018. “Similarly, while there were 202 stone-pelting incidents in 2019, only 39 cases were reported in 2021,” another source said. Sources said that elements close to the Pakistani establishment are constantly trying to instigate the Kashmiri people.

Terrorist Mehran Yasin Shalla had killed two teachers inside a government higher secondary school in Safa Kadal, Srinagar. Sources said that Shalla was gunned down by the security forces on November 24. Terrorist Adil Ah Wani killed carpenter and Saharanpur resident Sagir Ahmed Ansari near Litar Bus Stand in Anantnag.

Sources, citing some counter-insurgency operations, said that Wani was gunned down by security forces in Shirmal Shopian on October 20 as part of “Operation Dragged”.