Says Govt Forces Ready, Keeping All Options Open To Deal With Such Attacks In Future
Suhail Khan
Srinagar: Army on Tuesday claimed that the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants “involved” in Thursday’s deadliest attack on CRPF at Lethpora Pulwama were killed in less than 100 hours.
Addressing his first presser after taking over as the General Officer Commanding of Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lt General K J S Dhillon said government forces were ready and are keeping all options open to deal with Pulwama-type attacks in future.
“We were tracking the top Jaish-e-Mohammad leadership in Kashmir Valley as you are aware that convoy attack was carried out by Jaish Mohammad of Pakistan and it was being controlled from Pakistan with the active part of ISI and Pakistan Army, the local top commanders most of them Pakistanis who were incharge of controlling, coordinating and execution of this operation were the main JeM top leadership in the Valley,” Lt Gen Dhillon, flanked by IG Kashmir S P Pani and IG CRPF Zulfiqar Hasan, said.
“Since this incident happened and day before night at midnight on specific inputs, we hit this (JeM) module and I am happy to inform the country that in less than 100 hours we killed the JeM leadership in the valley which were being handled by Pakistan,” he said, according to GNS.
“This attack of car bomb which happened on CRPF convoy on 14 February as you are all aware it happened after a long time in Kashmir. However similar incidents are happening in other countries of the world, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and now militants have started in Kashmir, we are ready, we are keeping all options open to deal with this type of attack in future.”
Regarding one of the slain militants Kamran, the army commander said that he was chief operational commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad in Kashmir.
“He was Pakistani and was being handled by Pakistani with the support of ISI and Pakistani army from across the border. He was the top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad which carried out the attack on CRPF convoy,” he said, adding, “So we have killed the top commander, now weather who was involved, what was the role of each and every player in that attack as I told earlier is the matter of investigation,” he said, adding, “I would not like to share operational details of that incident.”
He also paid homage to CRPF men killed in Pulwama and said the injured paramilitary men are undergoing treatment at 92 Base Hospital. All of them, he said, are fine and had spoken to their families.
Similarly, he said, the injured of yesterday’s attack at Pulwama including Brigadier of Army, DIG south Kashmir and other officers of Army and JKP are doing well and are being looked after the best doctors available here.
He also requested all the mothers of Kashmir to “please request their sons who had joined militancy to come back to the mainstream or they will be killed unless he surrenders.”
“I would also like to tell one thing to the parents of the local youth especially the mothers that I understand and I know in a Kashmiri society mother has a great role to play through you I would request all the mothers of Kashmir to please request their sons who had joined militancy to come back to the mainstream,” he said, adding that anyone in Kashmir who have picked up gun will be killed Unless he surrenders.
“I request all the mothers, please tell their children to come back and surrender. There is a very good surrender policy being initiated by the government so that they can join the mainstream and pursue their life for the future, otherwise as I said earlier anyone who had picked up gun will be killed in Kashmir.”
Regarding the Pinglana gunfight, he said government forces did not want the civilian causalities to happen.
“As you all aware other than the one civilian causality which happened due to the militant’s fire at initial stage itself, not a single civilian has been injured or killed in this 17 hours operation and that is the risk we took in our chin,” he said, adding, “One more thing I would like to tell you that Breg Hardeep Singh who is also injured, he was on leave at home when he realise at midnight that operation has started he cut short his leave and he rejoined and came Kashmir and then came straight to the gunfight site and was leading his men from the front so including DIG Amit Kumar again he was also leading his men from the front and you would see the number of causalities of the officers it shows one thing that our commanders were leading the operation from the front and we are kind to achieve no civil causalities which have resulted in causalities to our side.” (GNS)
