Jammu and Kashmir’s Active Local Militants Now Only 22: DGP Swain

Srinagar June 02: Jammu and Kashmir’s Police chief R R Swain Saturday said that the focus of militancy in the Union Territory has shifted from “resident militancy to foreign militancy” as the number of local ‘militants’ active is very miniscule.

The Director General of Police (DGP) however, said that the foreign terrorism is “emerging as a challenge” given the fact that these terrorists infiltrate with a “poisoned and intoxicated ideology” to instill fear and to kill defenseless civilians.

Talking to reporters on the side-lines of a function in Jammu, the DGP, said that some four-five years ago, the number of local terrorists’ active was between 150 to 200 which has come down drastically to just 20-22. “The security challenges at present are overwhelmingly external. Even though foreign element was present there earlier as well, the focus of terrorism at present has shifted from resident terrorism to foreign terrorism as we have very few local boys active,” he said. “The challenge is foreign terrorists who infiltrate here with a poisoned and intoxicated ideology to instil fear, intimidate people and to kill unarmed people. At times, they engage with the security forces as well. Most of them are retrieved from jail and tasked to kill people here whom they don’t know at all.”

He said police along with other security agencies are understanding the modus-operandi of foreign terrorists. “We will comprehensively defeat them very soon,” Swain said.

He said that for the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls in J&K, police had hired 6000 vehicles to ferry and deploy security forces personnel at various polling booths across the UT. “Securing the polling booths, polling material and ferrying the material and men from one place to another was a mega task. We are happy to see huge participation of people in the Lok Sabha polls,” he said. “Police acted as the major coordinating security agency for the other agencies like army and Central forces.”

He said security forces ensure a “peaceful campaigning atmosphere” for the candidates who were engaged in campaigning till late evening. “The people’s participation in Lok Sabha polls triggered a virtuous security system,” the DGP said.

About the arrangements for counting of votes on June 4, the DGP Swain said that each counting centre is under the 24×7 monitoring of CCTVs. “There are at least two companies of forces at the places that have been declared as the counting centres,” he said. (KNO)