Two militant groups jointly carried out attack on BJP leader: IGP Kashmir

Srinagar: Inspector General of Police Kashmir Zone Vijay Kumar on Friday said that attack on BJP leader’s house was jointly carried out by militants from Al-Badr and Lashker-e-Toiba outfits and those belonging to the latter were killed in a gunfight at Kakapora Pulwama in less than 24 hours.

Addressing a presser here, the top police officer of Kashmir also said that three more persons have been arrested and the vehicle used in the attack belonged to one in whose house the encounter took place at Ghatmohalla area of Kakapora in the south Kashmir district.

“As you know, militants carried out the attack on Thursday on BJP leader’s house at Nowgam Srinagar and a policeman was killed and a rifle snatched,” he said.

“Srinagar and Pulwama police swiftly moved and in the process arrested a person on whose disclosure two more persons were arrested and ultimately it was revealed that three militants are hiding in house at Ghatmohalla,” he said, adding, “CASO was launched and Security forces were fired upon following they retaliated”.

“Initially four civilians were kept hostage and later they were freed which took time for conclusion of the operation,” he said.

He said that three militants identified as Suhail Lone and Nissar Lone besides one Junaid were killed in the gunfight.

“Suhail Lone had come in Burqa,” the IGP said, adding, “An AK-47 rifle, a pistol and one SLR which was snatched from the policeman have been recovered.”

The recovery of the SLR, he said, proves that these militants were involved in the Nowgam attack.

“One new thing has emerged that the attack carried in unison by Al-Badr and LeT. Initially we thought all four militants were from Srinagar and were from LeT,” he said.

The militants, he said, had come in an Alto vehicle which has been seized from the house of one Nawaz Dar and he is being booked.

“The vehicle belongs to him and it helped us to track the militants immediately,” he said.

The IGP added that two other militants who were part of the attack belonged to Srinagar and remained in summer capital of J&K.

“Those from Pulwama left and were killed,” he said.

He said that one female suffered minor injuries in “cross firing” while two or three persons were injured in stone pelting at the gunfight site.

Asked if the BJP leaders faced more threat than others in the Kashmir, the top police officer responded in affirmative.

“As far as I am came concerned, threat is for all political parties. Every person and every party has different threats and I accept that BJP have more threat,” he said, adding, “We are strengthening bunkers and other deployed. We are giving more training to policemen on guard duty so that they can neutralize militants on their own immediately.”

He said SOPs and PSO guard changes are being made. “We are also not deploying those from areas as they go home frequently.”

Asked if the infiltration has come down as claimed by the DGP, he said, “One of the militant (killed) had come recently. May be he had come through Nepal.”

To a question, he said that young people are “radicalized on social media by Pakistan and don’t fear”. “They are not aware about their family and career,” he said, adding, “I also requested teachers community to play role. Parents have role and also media men.”

He said that six militants are active in Srinagar city and “they will soon be neutralized, arrested or brought back.” (GNS)