Conflict
Militant killed in Ganderbal was Reyaz Naikoo’s close aide, says DGP
Srinagar: Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh on Wednesday said the militant killed in retaliation firing by PSOs of a BJP worker in Nunar Ganderbal last evening was a close aide of slain Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Reyaz Naikoo and was sent for “specific target killing”.
The top police officer of the JK also said that the attacks on Jammu-Srinagar highway cannot be ruled out as long as militancy continues in the Jammu and Kashmir.
“Last night the BJP worker and his PSOs were leaving moving to another location from their residence and militants fired upon them,” the DGP said, adding, “the fire was responded by PSO Altaf Hussain in which he was injured and in the fire, he killed the militant who has been identified as Shabir (Ahmad) of Awantipora.”
He said that slain militant was right-hand man and worked as OGW of Reyaz Naikoo, the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander who was killed on May 6 this year near his native village in Awantipora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
“He (Shabir) was sent to Ganderbal. We are proud that the PSO (Altaf Hussain) gave the befitting reply without caring for life and (died in the process). We are proud of him
We express sympathies to his family. The way he responded to militant firing, we feel proud of him,” he said speaking to the reporters on the sidelines of the wreath-laying ceremony, adding, “ (Shabir) was right-hand OGW of Reyaz Naikoo for a long and came into active militant later. He had recently joined active militancy. He was sent for target hitting by Hizb.”
When asked how was the militant able to move to the spot in Ganderbal considered to be a peace district, the DGP said: “for a militant, the entire area is open. He can move from any place. He works on the dictation of Pakistan.”
The top police officer also referred to TRP which he called as “mouthpiece of Pakistan and ISI.”
“Recently 39 journalists were threatened by the TRF. They are the people who are doing their job honestly,” he said.
“They (militants) target people who are working for peace and development on the directions from Pakistan. Pakistan is the big collaborator of the killings. They damage our Kashmiri people… TRF is Pakistan and ISI mouthpiece. They do not want people to do their routine work. We have given befitting reply in the past and continue to do so in future,” he added.
Asked if any there was any militant injured in Ganderbal, he said, there is an indication given the blood trail. “District SP said that more than one militant was involved.”
Asked about recent highway attack in which two CRPF men were killed and three others were injured, he said that there are clues on which the police was working. “Very soon we will payback.”
He said that deployments made on the highway are calibrated and one cannot rule out attacks along with it. “Amid militancy, one cannot rule out such attacks. You see whenever there is an attack on the highway, we kill them in a counter-attack. This is a continuous process.”
Asked if there is drone monitoring planned along the highway, he said, “there has been such monitoring at few places. Use of technology will be done in future.”
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