Anyone picking up the gun in Kashmir will be neutralised: Lt Gen Dhillon

#Pakistan Army, ISI involved in Pulwama terror attack; Our commanders leading anti-terrorist operations from the front, reducing civilian casualties

20/02/2019

SRINAGAR, Feb 19: The Army on Tuesday said the leadership of Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Kashmir was "eliminated less than 100 hours" after the February 14 CRPF convoy attack in Pulwama and warned that those who pick up the gun will be neutralised unless they surrender.
In a first joint briefing with senior officers of CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police, Corps Commander of the Army's 15 Corps, Lieutenant General Kanwaljeet Singh Dhillon, said, "The JeM leadership has been eliminated in the Valley in less than 100 hours since the attack." He said, "All those who pick up the gun will be eliminated unless they surrender. We were tracking the top JeM leadership since February 14 attack."
JeM had claimed responsibility for the attack on the convoy in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
"The convoy attack was carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammad which is being controlled from Pakistan with an active support of ISI and the Pakistan Army. Top JeM commanders, most of them Pakistanis, were in-charge of controlling, coordinating, fabricating and execution of this operation," Dhillon said. Noting that the car bomb-type terror strike happened after a long time in Kashmir, the officer said the security forces will keep all options open to deal with these kinds of attacks.
Responding to a question on security forces' future course of action in the wake of the convoy attack and the killing of four Army personnel, including a Major, in an encounter with terrorists on Monday, Dhillon said, "The investigation (into the CRPF vehicle attack) is at a very advance stage. We cannot share probe details right now. We have leads on the type of explosives used but I cannot share."
He asserted, "We are very clear about our anti-terrorism policies. All options are open to deal with the new modus operation."
The officer appealed to the youth to stay away from any gunfight site and requested the parents to keep their children away from terror activities.
"I also want to tell one thing to the parents of the local youth specially mothers because I understand and I know that in Kashmiri society, the mother has a great role to play. I will request all the mothers of Kashmir to please request their sons who have joined terrorism to surrender and get back to the mainstream," he said.
In the backdrop of reports that several Kashmiri students had received threats post-Pulwama terror strike, Inspector General (IG) of J-K Police SP Pani said that the students are being taken care across the country.
Pani also said that many families in the Valley were playing a major role in stopping their children from getting recruited by terror groups.
"There is a significant dip in recruitment...The families are playing a huge role in this. We would like to urge the families and the community to help in curtailing recruitment," he said.
IG (Operations) of CRPF ZulfiquarHasan said, "The incident happened because of an IED- laden civilian car. The Road Opening Party (ROP) had secured the highway. Now, the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on civilian cars will be changed."
He also said, "Our helpline-14411 has been helping Kashmiris across the country in wake of this attack. A lot of Kashmiri students have approached this helpline all over the country. All Kashmiri children studying outside have been taken care of."
Yesterday, in a nearly 20-hour fierce gun battle between terrorists and security forces in Pulwama, three JeM operatives, four Army personnel, including a Major, and a civilian were killed.
This incident came after a CRPF convoy, moving from Jammu to Srinagar, was attacked by a suicide bomber in Pulwama'sLethpora area on the national highway on February 14.
The Pakistan Army and its espionage agency ISI were involved in the car bomb attack that left 40 CRPF personnel dead, a top Army official said on Tuesday, also sending out the message that anyone picking up the gun in Kashmir would be eliminated unless he surrenders.
The Jaish-e-Mohammad leadership in Kashmir was eliminated within 100 hours of the February 14 terror attack in Pulwama, General Officer Commanding of Army's Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lt General K J S Dhillon added at a press conference along with IG Kashmir S P Pani and IG CRPF ZulfiqarHasan.
On Monday, three Jaish terrorists were killed in a 16-hour operation in Pinglan area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district, 12 km from the spot of the February 14 terror attack on a CRPF convoy. An Army major and four security personnel also lost their lives.
"The Jaish-e-Mohammad is the brainchild of Pakistan army and it is the Pakistan Army and ISI that controls Jaish-e-Mohammad. The involvement of the Pakistan Army is 100 per cent and there is no doubt in it," Dhillon told reporters.
He also appealed to the parents of Kashmiri youth who have joined the ranks of militants to persuade their sons to surrender or face elimination.
"I would like to tell the parents of Kashmiri youth, especially the mothers... to request their sons, who have joined terrorism, to surrender and return to the mainstream.
"Anyone who has picked the gun in Kashmir will be eliminated, unless he surrenders. This is a message and request to all of them," he said.
Giving details of Monday's operation, he said the three Jaish terrorists killed included Kamran, the self-styled chief operations commander of the outfit in Kashmir valley.
"On specific information the day before (intervening night of Sunday and Monday), we hit this module and I am happy to inform the country that in less than 100 hours of the car bomb attack, we eliminated the JeM leadership in Kashmir," he said.
Security forces were tracking the Jaish's top leadership ever since the February 14 attack for which the group has claimed responsibility, the Army officer said.
"The attack was carried out by JeM and it was being controlled by Pakistan with the support of the ISI and the Pakistan Army. The local top commanders, most of them Pakistanis, who were in charge of controlling, coordinating, fabricating and execution of this operation were the main people of the JeM in the Valley," he said.
Last week's strike, when a suicide bomber drove an explosives laden car into a bus, was a first for Kashmir, he said.
"With this type of intensity, it has never happened before. However, similar incidents have happened in other countries like Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"Since this modus operandi has now been started by terrorists, we are alive to it... we are keeping all options open to deal with this type of modus operandi in future," he added.
Asked if Gazi Abdul Rashid, one of the Jaish terrorists killed on Monday, had an Afghanistan connection, Dhillon said, "Many Gazis have come and gone. There is nothing new in it... We will handle it, Let any Gazi come."
Referring to infiltration attempts, he said there was not much activity along the Line of Control due to snowfall and terrain conditions over the past month but Pakistan has been pushing in infiltrators from other routes on the Jammu side.
"There has been infiltration on the other routes, that is from the international border sector and south of Jammu in the area of Samba, Hiranagar and Pathankot sector. That infiltration is continuing... Pakistan is carrying out infiltration into Kashmir for the results they want."
Nonetheless, the numbers have reduced in the recent past, Dhillon said.
"... anyone who enters Kashmir Valley will not go back alive," he warned.
According to him, radicalisation of the youth was a concern but efforts directed at reversing the trend had started.
"Inimical elements are involved in the radicalisation of youth of Kashmir but the efforts of government security forces and opinion makers have helped reduce it. I would say it is a work in progress and we will continue our efforts and attempts in a collective manner," he said.
Sending out a message to parents whose children had taken up the gun, he said the government had initiated a "very good surrender policy" so their children could join the mainstream. The GOC said local recruitment had come down in recent months.
Elaborating, IG Pani said there was a significant dip in the recruitment of local youth in militant ranks due to the elimination of top commanders.
"There has not been much of it in the past three months. There are families who have played a key role and made a lot of effort to bring their sons back. Families and the community have an important role to play in this," Pani said.
Brigadier Harbir Singh, who was injured in an operation against Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists on Monday in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, had cut short his leave to lead his soldiers from the front, a senior army officer said Tuesday.
"Brigadier Harbir Singh, who is among the injured, was on leave at home. When he realised at midnight that the operation has started, he cut short his leave voluntarily and rejoined," General Officer Commanding of Army's 15 Corps Lt Gen K J S Dhillon told reporters here.
Lt Gen Dhillon was briefing reporters about the operation that led to elimination of three Jaish terrorists who were responsible for the suicide car bomb attack on CRPF on February 14 in which 40 security personnel were killed.
"He (Brigadier Singh) came back to Kashmir and went straight to the operational site. He was leading his men from the front. DIG Amit Kumar (who was also injured) again was leading his men from the front and you would see from the injuries to our officers, it shows our commanders were leading the operation from the front and we were able to achieve nil civilian casualties," Lt Gen Dhillon said. He said the Army officers will continue to lead from the front during operations in future as well.
Major V S Dhoundiyal, three Army soldiers and a policeman were killed in the gunbattle at Pinglan in Pulwama district on Monday. Several other personnel including DIG Kumar, Brigadier Singh, a Lt Colonel and a captain were among the injured.
He said all the personnel, who sustained injuries during Monday's operation as well as those injured in the car bomb attack last week, were now stable and undergoing treatment.
Asked about the high number of casualties in the operation, Lt Gen Dhillon said the security forces wanted to avoid any civilian casualties.
"There were two to three main reasons for it. We did not want civilian casualties. As you are aware, other than one civilian casualty, which happened due to terrorist fire in the initial stages itself, not a single civilian has been injured in this operation that lasted 17 hours. That is the risk we took, We took it on our chin," he added.
Lt Gen Dhillon asked people to not go near the encounter sites.
"At the same time, I would like to convey to people to please stay away from the encounter site during the encounter and after the encounter for your own safety. During the encounter crossfire, something can go wrong and after the encounter because of the leftover explosives, it can cause injury or death," he said.

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