Sanjha Morcha

Army Chief warns of tough action against stone-throwers

Says forces in J&K facing higher casualties due to local help for ultras

Army Chief warns of tough action against stone-throwers
The Prime Minister and the Army Chief during the wreath-laying ceremony at Palam, New Delhi, on Wednesday to pay tributes to the soldiers killed in north Kashmir on Tuesday . PTI

New Delhi, February 15

Acknowledging that the hostile conduct of locals was causing higher casualties in the Kashmir valley, Army Chief Bipin Rawat today warned those attacking security forces during anti-militancy operations of “tough action.”The stern message from Rawat came a day after three soldiers faced heavy stone-throwing at Parray Mohalla of Bandipora in north Kashmir when they were about to launch an operation against the militants holed up there.Alerted by the stone-throwers, the militants got an opportunity to lob hand grenades and empty a few magazines from their rifles on the advancing troopers, leaving three jawans dead and some others, including a CRPF Commanding Officer, injured. One terrorist managed to flee the area.General Rawat said the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir were facing higher casualties due to the manner in which the local population was preventing them from conducting the operations and “at times even supporting the terrorists to escape.”Warning locals against supporting militants, General Rawat said: “We will request locals in Kashmir that people who have picked up arms — and these are local boys — and if they want to continue with acts of terrorism by displaying flags of the Islamic State and Pakistan, we will treat them as anti-national elements and go after them.”“They may survive today but we will get them tomorrow. Our relentless operations will continue,” the Army Chief told reporters here, sending out a stern message to those who support militants.General Rawat’s assertion came after PM Narendra Modi and he paid last respects here to three of the four soldiers, including a Major, who were killed in two encounters in Kashmir yesterday.The PM, in a tweet, said, “Paid tributes to the brave men who lost their lives fighting terrorists in J&K. India will always remember their valour and sacrifice.”General Rawat said those supporting terror activities were being given an opportunity to join the national mainstream but, if they continued with their acts, the security forces would come down hard on them.“We are giving them an opportunity, should they want to continue to (do what they are doing now) then, we will continue with relentless operations may be with harsher measures. That is the way to continue,” he said.Four terrorists were gunned down in two encounters yesterday. Four Army men, including a Major, were also killed in the encounters at Handwara and Bandipora. — PTI