SRINAGAR: The Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday said that latest developments along the Line of Control were a cause of concern.
Ashok Prasad said the police is “minutely assessing” the situation and added that the militants had changed their strategy.
Mr Prasad said the security forces are trying to figure out whether the militants’ strategy was short or long-term.
“As per intelligence reports External Forces have increased the funding of separatist leaders and they are getting huge amounts from across the border while the militants along the Line of Control have become more aggressive now which is a cause of worry for us,” he said.
The police chief added militants have changed their strategy now and “instead of infiltrating during the dead of night, they have started sneaking into our side openly”.
He said at least 80 militants had managed to infiltrate successfully into the valley recently “and they are present in different parts of Kashmir Valley.
He put the total number of rebels fighting New Delhi’s rule here at 180.
But he said there were only a few “enthusiastic” commanders. “Only seven to eight militant leaders of Hizbul Mujhadeen are enthusiastically active in North and South Kashmir. Once these 7 to 8 militants are neutralized, militancy would almost disappear and even stray attacks on security and police personnel would stop,” he said.
He said militant groups are providing logistic support to each other to carry out joint operations.
Mr Prasad said the authorities are are following a “three fold-strategy” which includes minimum visibility of security personnel, low profile and zero collateral damage.
“If this policy could be reversed, militancy would come down to zero level but common people would feel the brunt which we don’t like,” he said.
“Arrests and killings of militants is not our objective. Our objective is that peaceful and conducive atmosphere should prevail in the State so that people could participate in electoral process and elect their representatives who could sit across and resolves all the issues politically and amicably.
