SRINAGAR: Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh on Thursday read a detailed statement in the Legislative Assembly regarding the security situation in the State.
The Dy CM said, during June, 2016, 14 militancy related incidents have taken place, significant of these are Bijbehara on 3rd June, Anantnag on 4th June and Pampore on 25th June, 2016. The security forces/police exercised maximum restraint to prevent civilian killings and collateral damage, despite provocation and instead themselves suffered losses.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that due to continuing pressure of security forces/police, the militants are now indulging in attacks on soft targets and at crowded places for revival of waning militancy in the State. It needs to be appreciated that the security forces/police have been exhibiting utmost professionalism and maximum restraint while handling the law and order situations particularly the stone pelting incidents, during and after their engagements with the militants at various encounter sites.
The minister said due to active engagement of security forces/police with the militants, the year 2016 has registered an increase in the killing of militants by over 110 per cent and arrest of militants/suspects by 48 per cent and a drop in civilian killings by 11 per cent as compared to corresponding period of 2015.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that our security forces and police are on high alert and all required measures have been taken to pre-empt and thwart any such attack in future.
Through this august House, the Dy. CM said the State Government in unequivocal terms condemns the various militant attacks and conveys its sympathies and deep hearted condolences to the families of civilians and the security forces/police personnel who lost their lives in these incidents. We re-iterate that violence is going to yield nothing except bring large scale devastation and miseries to the people and hurt the initiatives of the government towards socio-economic development of the State. Therefore, cooperation of people is imperative in carrying forward the agenda of peace and development in the State, the Dy. CM added.