The district of Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir came under the lens with the assassination of senior BJP leaders. The deaths of Anil and Ajit Parihar brought the police sub-divisions for an updated list of terrorists. This was followed up by the assassination of a senior RSS leader Chandrakant Sharma and his security personnel at a health centre in the same region. The terrorist attacks in and around Jammu and Kashmir has led to thousands of deaths of civilians, soldiers and police alike.
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The decision on updating the list of terrorists was taken at a crime review meeting of the police sub-divisions of Kishtwar and Atholi. The meeting was led by Senior Superintendent of Police (Kishtwar) Shakti K Pathak.
Sources suggested that the meeting was essentially about updating the list of terrorists operating in the region. The cordoning area to know of the whereabouts of many absconding terrorists. The list would consist of a station wise update of names of terrorists whose locations are unidentified and those who are presently in Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The meeting is also have said to have touched upon sensitive and sensational cases with the top police officers looking for quick and efficient operational tactics to close cases.
“The investigating staff was directed to conduct the investigation of cases with zeal, dedication and with transparency at the earliest and bring the pendency to the minimum,” the police said. The police station staff have also been advised to conduct foot patrolling in their respective jurisdictions. The police have been asked, “to provide an honest, clean and fair policing to the general masses.”
There have been reported cases of militants having attacked policemen in the district; including a case where a service rifle was snatched from a policeman. There have been many such cases of militant activity in different parts of the region. In the gunfight in Marwah, two special policemen were injured and the militants managed to escape into the Keshwan forest.
The Inspector general of Police (Jammu), M K Sinha told the media that at least 10 local militants were deemed active in the region and search parties have been dispatched to locate them. Among the escaped 8 are from the Hizbul Mujahideen and 2 related to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The local police added that around 36 militants have crossed the LoC into Pakistan and PoK.
The Kishtwar initiative comes at the same time that the central government released its updated list of terrorists and terrorist groups active in the entire region of J&K. The central government has set its foot down and have vehemently been pursuing the desire to quell terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Home Ministry, led by Amit Shah, has issued an updated list of terrorists operating in the area. The list includes wanted terrorists from many terror groups- Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM); Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT); Hizbul Mujahideen; Al Badr. The list is an amalgamation of intelligence from the Jammu and Kashmir police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB). Shah has been made aware of the situation at J&K constantly, especially the border areas. He has called for a zero-tolerance policy towards dealing with terrorism and any suspicious terrorist-related activities in and around the region.
