Attack on non-Locals Ex-SPO among 2 HM ultras behind recent killings, 9 safe zones set up

SRINAGAR: A special police officer (SPO) who had deserted the force in 2017 is among the two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists behind the recent killing of two non-Kashmiri civilians and setting ablaze an apple-laden truck in Shopian district of south Kashmir, the police confirmed on Friday, even as district authorities set up nine safe zones for fruit dealers in district to procure and send the produce outside the state following recent attacks.
A truck driver from Rajasthan, a migrant labourer from Chhattisgarh and an apple trader from Punjab were killed and another apple trader critically injured in three separate attacks by terrorists in Shopian and Pulwama districts of south Kashmir since Monday.
The authorities have put up posters in different areas of Shopian with the pictures of the terrorists -- former SPO Syed Naveed Mushtaq alias Naveed Babu of Nazneenpora and Rahil Magray of Ganavpora -- and requested the people to share information that might lead to their capture.
The posters in Urdu read that the two terrorists were behind the recent killing of an innocent truck driver and a trader and injuring another trader, besides setting ablaze an apple-laden truck this week.
Though the police did not mention the group affiliation of the terrorists, officials said both were affiliated to the proscribed Hizbul Mujahideen.
Naveed deserted the police force to join the terrorist ranks in 2017 and is currently the district commander of the outfit, the officials said. He had decamped with four weapons then. He has been threatening apple growers not to send their produce to Indian markets, they said.
The terror warning had come through posters and pamphlets in Shopian, signed by Naveed alias "Babar Azam" immediately after the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and division of the state into two union territories in early August.
On Thursday, Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh visited Shopian district and said that Pakistan-sponsored terrorists involved in the recent killing of three civilians have been identified.
Meanwhile, Officials in the district administration said eight to nine "safe zones" have been earmarked in Shopian along the main roads in south Kashmir, to facilitate the fruit dealers to procure the fruits from the farmers.
"Following the recent attacks on fruit dealers, the government first identified five areas and designated them as safe zones to facilitate the fruit growers and dealers. Now, we have eight to nine of them," an official said.
These zones are on the main roads of the district and closer to police, army and paramilitary CRPF establishments, the official said.
"The zones are secure, there are RoPs (road opening parties of security forces) who accompany them along with the forces' deployment. The fruit dealers and trucks have been pushed into these safer zones as a security measure. The government has been working on this idea for the last couple of days. It is a stop-gap sort of measure we have taken to ensure that there are no continued attacks," the official said.
Following the attacks, the official said, there were apprehensions that fruit trade would be severely affected, but "that did not happen" and the loading of fruits was going on.
"After these back-to-back attacks, we expected that people will be discouraged and the whole season will get derailed severely. That did not happen. The loading is still going on. The people have brought their produce in smaller vehicles to these secure zones which we have created and they are loading their fruit over there. There has not been a serious exodus of the truckers following the attacks," the official said.
There were inputs about possible attacks on fruit dealers and as a security measure, the district administration has also asked about 600 truckers to stay put in Poshana area - near Pir Ki Gali on the Mughal Road, the official said.
"They have been halted for two reasons - one is security because there is a possible input about some sort of an attack and secondly, because of traffic management across Poshana as there is an increased incoming traffic," the official said.
"We do not have an exact number, but around 500 to 600 trucks is our estimate," the official added.
Meawnhile, highlighting the multifarious duties being performed by Jammu and Kashmir Police, its chief Dilbag Singh on Friday said the force has been in the forefront of tackling Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, radicalisation and law and order situation in the state.
In addition to the fight against terrorism along with other security agencies, the force has been very effective in dealing with unlawful activities, Singh told a group of about 50 IPS officers from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy Hyderabad here.
The probationary officers were given know-how about the functioning of Jammu and Kashmir Police.
"J&K Police is doing multifarious duties and is countering terrorism at different fronts and a large number of terrorists have been eliminated and huge quantity of arms and ammunition has been seized in last three decades," the Director General of Police (DGP) said.
He said the force has been in the forefront of tackling Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, radicalisation and law and order situations along with all other security forces working in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Police personnel are doing multifarious tasks which include police bandobast (arrangements), investigation and providing various services to the general people. Besides the police personnel are doing other specialized works to check social crimes and handle social media, terror funding, OGW (overground worker) networks of terrorists and separatists," the DGP said.

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