Security grid plans strategy to tackle local militants

Surgical operation among planned stern measures

Shabir Ahmad

SRINAGAR: Countering the locals who have joined militancy in Kashmir, especially in southern Kashmir, has become a major challenge for the security forces which are working on a multi-pronged strategy to curb militancy in the state.
Besides making attempts to motivate the youths to shun the gun, among the stern measures the forces are also bracing up for a surgical strike type operation for eliminating terrorists in the minimum possible time.
In the last one year, while there has been a manifold increase in infiltration from across the border, the major concern for the security establishment continues to be the spurt in local recruitment into terror outfits and now their elimination.
The figures available with counter insurgency forces reveal that during 2016, around 88 local youths joined different terror outfits in Kashmir — the highest in a single year since 2013. The figures show that the highest number of local youths joined militancy this year from southern Kashmir’s four districts — Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian.
It needs to be mentioned here that all these districts which turned into a fertile ground for terror activities are bastion of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP). At the same time, these areas proved the epicenter of the unrest last year that was triggered by the killing of popular local terrorist Burhan Wani in Anantnag district of southern Kashmir.
A top police official said here that there has been a spurt in 2016 in local recruitment into terror outfits as compared to 2015. “In year 2016 about 90 youth have joined militant ranks,” he said adding that some ex-militants have joined terror outfits again.
The official said that they are countering the challenge at multiple levels. He said carrying out anti-militancy operation in south Kashmir has become a difficult task as protests disrupt the the operations.
“We have changed the strategy. Now onwards, we intend to carry out surgical type operation,” the officer said adding that the operation will focus on specific point.
The officer said surgical type operation will also result in less collateral damage. “During such operation, we will try keep the people at bay so that there is no disruption,” he said.
He said that now-a-days round the clock patrolling has been started in militancy prone areas of south Kashmir.
“Because of snowfall, the terrorists try to take shelter in hinterland,” he said adding that human intelligence has also been pressed to identify specific targets.
“We are hopeful that in coming weeks targets would be achieved,” he said adding that identification of specific targets is being done in collaboration with local Army formations.
The officer said that the foremost effort would be to motivate the local youths to shun the gun. He said that they are contacting the families of the youths since Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has asked the police not to kill local militants and instead “try to bring them into the mainstream by capturing them alive.”