Give info on terrorists to keep border areas safe: Jammu and Kashmir L-G to people

Jammu and Kashmir L-G Manoj Sinha

Amid a spike in attacks and encounters in Jammu region in the past week, Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant-governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday urged the villagers in border areas to help “fight terrorism by providing information to security forces”.

In his monthly talk, Awaam ki Awaaz, Sinha requested the public’s help so that the “fight against terrorism gets more impetus”.

“I want to specifically request the people in border villages that they should provide correct information about the movement of suspect persons or of those providing shelter to terror elements, to police and security agencies, so that the fight of complete annihilation of terrorism gets further impetus,” he said.

The Jammu region’s Pir Panjal and Chenab areas have been affected by a spike in attacks on civilians and security forces owing to an increased presence of militants.

Four back-to-back attacks and encounters since June 9 in Jammu have caused a major upheaval putting the security forces on high alert. The first attack came on June 9 in Reasi when terrorists opened fire on a bus of devotees, which subsequently lost control and fell into a gorge, leaving nine dead and 42 injured. In the two separate encounters in Doda and Kathua on June 11, spilling into the next day, a CRPF official was killed, six other security personnel and one civilian injured. Two militants were killed in the exchange of fire in Kathua.

On June 12, a police constable was injured during an encounter with militants at Kota Top, Gandoh in Doda district. Subsequently, police released the sketches of four terrorists roaming in upper reaches of the district.

On Sunday, the union home minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting in Delhi to review the security situation in J&K and preparation of Amarnath Yatra. NSA Ajit Doval and LG Sinha among others attended the meeting

In the monthly talk, the L-G invoked help from every citizen saying, “This is the time to come together and foil the designs of terrorists.”

“The help of common people in this fight against terror will not only boost the confidence of the security forces but will also provide a way for peace and development in near future,” he said.

Sinha blamed the neighbouring country for the recent attacks in J&K. “Rattled with the development in India, the neighbouring country, last week, targeted innocents through terror incidents. In this time of pain, my thoughts are with the families who lost their loved ones,” he said.

“These terror incidents are committed by our neighbour which is on the edge of bankruptcy and is not able to even provide food to its citizens,” he added.

In the past 18 months, compared to Kashmir, the Jammu region has seen more attacks on the security forces.

Many security experts believe that the focus of militancy has now shifted to Jammu region especially Pir Panjal range where there are huge forests with numerous hiding places and concentration of forces is less than Kashmir.

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