Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 16

Mainstream political parties and separatist organisations have strongly reacted to the remarks of Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat that “tough action” would be taken against the people supporting militants and creating hurdles in operations of the security forces.Expressing disappointment over the remarks, the National Conference said such posturing would compound the situation and increase hostility in the Valley. “It is tragic that New Delhi is trying to talk to the youth of Kashmir through the defence establishment when there is a need to engage them politically,” a spokesman of the NC said.“Youth rushing towards encounter sites and incidents of stone-throwing on the forces during encounters are worrying and alarming signs of the sense of alienation and disenchantment in Kashmir,” he added.In a statement, the hardline APHC Chairman, Syed Ali Geelani, termed it as an “apparent threat to carry out a killing spree of civilians”, which had become a practice over the past seven decades. He said the Centre’s “arrogance and stale thinking” was the basic reason for continuous bloodshed and political uncertainty in the state. He said during the situations arising in encounters people “exhibit their extreme valour and without any fear even face tough and dangerous situations.” The separatist leader that instead of taking this development serious, “they (government) are beating about the same bush” and suppress people at the barrel of gun.The moderate APHC chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said the threat issued by General Rawat to the people of Kashmir “is unfortunate and reflects a tyrannical mindset towards the people of Kashmir.” He said the Army Chief “needs to ask the executive as to why is the institution of the Army being used to crush a mass political movement and why do people at the obvious risk to their lives gather?”JKLF chairman Yasin Malik said threatening the protesters was a case of “political immaturity,” which amounted to a direct threat to the people of Kashmir. Malik termed the Army Chief’s statement as an open invitation to many to take up arms. “This statement may add to the miseries of Kashmiris but it will also push many youth to the wall and drive them towards armed struggle hence promote violence in the region,” Malik added.

Army Chief spoke in national interest: Rijiju

• New Delhi: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday endorsed Army Chief Bipin Rawat’s statement on tough action against those creating hurdles during anti-terror operations in Kashmir, saying the country’s interest was supreme. “There should be action against the stone-throwers and whoever works against national interest,” he added. “Whatever the Army Chief said, it is in national interest. There is no need to misinterpret it. There is nothing wrong in the statement,” he said. Asked about the prevailing security situation in J&K, Rijiju said he would not like to comment on the routine law and order matters. — PT

Govt advises locals to stay away from encounter sites

Srinagar, February 16

The government has advised the public to stay away from the counter-insurgency operation sites for their own safety and ordered that prohibitory restrictions would be imposed within a radius of three kilometres from the site of any such operations.The district administrations of Srinagar, Budgam and Shopian advised people not to move towards or assemble near the places where encounters take place between security forces and militants to avoid loss and injuries to precious human lives.Further, prohibitory restrictions have been imposed within the radius of three kilometres from the site of any counter-insurgency operation in these districts, an official spokesman said.However, these curbs would not apply to the movement of ambulances, medical & paramedical staff, and government employees

Militants again strike at Valley bank

Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, February 16

Militants today looted Rs 3.20 lakh from J&K Bank’s Turk-e-Wangam branch in Shopian district of south Kashmir. This was the fourth such robbery in less than three months in the Kashmir valley.The gunmen, believed to be three or four in number, fired several shots in the air before forcing their entry into the Turk-e-Wangam branch of the bank.“The gunmen barged into the bank and looted around Rs 3.20 lakh,” said Shopian Superintendent of Police Tahir Saleem. He said the gunmen were militants.After the police reached the bank soon after the incident, they had to beat a hasty retreat due to violent protests of local youths. The youths alleged that the robberies were being staged by security forces to malign militants.However, the police said the protest took place to provide the militants time to flee.Today’s robbery was the fourth such incident in less than three months. The other three robberies took place at J&K Bank branches in Pulwama and Budgam districts in November and December last year.After a robbery in the Ratnipora area of Pulwama on December 15, the police had claimed that Lashkar-e-Toiba militants were caught on CCTV cameras of the bank, establishing that militants were behind the robberies.The police had cited demonetisation as a possible reason for the robberies. Soon after, the LeT had issued a statement distancing itself from the robberies.

Four robberies after demonetisation

• November 21, 2016: Gunmen attack J&K Bank’s branch in the Arihal area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, loot Rs 13 lakh
• December 8, 2016: Gunmen loot Rs 13.38 lakh from the J&K Bank branch in the Charar-e-Sharief area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district
• December 15, 2016: Militants barge into the Ratnipora branch of J&K Bank in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, take away Rs 9.84 lakh
• February 16, 2017: Rs 3.20 looted from the J&K Bank branch in Turk-e-Wangam of Shopian district insouth Kashmir

Soldier commits suicide in J&K’s Samba town

AMMU: A soldier committed suicide by shooting himself with his service weapon in the garrison town of Samba on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway on Thursday. He was identified as Havildar Kishan Singh Rathore of 24 Grenadiers, a native of Chapra village in Nagpur district of Rajasthan. “Havildar Kishan Singh Rathore shot himself in the neck with his INSAS rifle at Maheshwar, which has Samba Brigade. He died on the spot,” said a police officer.