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Business News/ Politics / News/  Those who have picked up guns in Kashmir will be killed: Army
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Those who have picked up guns in Kashmir will be killed: Army

Army’s warning comes even as JeM released a new video promising to ‘conduct many more such attacks’
  • At least 182 terrorists from groups including JeM, LeT, Hizbul Mujahideen have been killed in Kashmir in the past year
  • The army’s warning comes after last week’s suicide attack in Pulwama. (PTI)Premium
    The army’s warning comes after last week’s suicide attack in Pulwama. (PTI)

    SRINAGAR : Signalling a shift to a hardline stance in its strategy to tackle terrorism in Kashmir, the Indian army on Tuesday issued a blunt warning to terrorists: Surrender or be prepared to be killed.

    “In a Kashmiri society, a mother has a great role to play. Through you, I would request the mothers of Kashmir to please request their sons who have joined terrorism to surrender and get back to the mainstream. Anyone who has picked up guns will be killed and eliminated, unless he surrenders," Lt. Gen. KJS Dhillon, corps commander of the Chinar Corps (Kashmir) told reporters in Srinagar.

    His remarks not only point to an imminent crackdown on terror outfits in the Kashmir valley, they also signal that the Union government is suspending its dialogue with stakeholders.

    The Indian army’s warning comes after last week’s suicide attack in Pulwama that claimed the lives of at least 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.

    The suicide attacker was identified as 20-year-old Adil Ahmad Dar, who was radicalized by the Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

    The Indian Army’s warning came even as the JeM—which has claimed responsibility for the attack— released a new video promising to “conduct many more such attacks and hit India."

    Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan too struck a belligerent note stating that Islamabad would retaliate if India launched a punitive strike.

    “The JeM is a child of the Pakistan Army. Our focus is clear on counter-terrorism operations. We are very clear that anyone who enters Kashmir valley will not go back alive," Dhillon said. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the “armed forces have been given the permission to plan, decide the place, time, and nature" of their response to Pulwama.

    At least 182 terrorists have been killed in Kashmir in the past year from groups including the JeM, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. According to the state police, the last quarter of the past year has seen fewer Kashmiri youths join terror outfits.

    “There is a significant dip in recruitment, we have not seen any recruitment in the last three months," inspector general of Jammu and Kashmir Police, SP Pani said.

    The Indian army’s stark warning comes after several attempts by the Modi government to broker peace in the state.

    In his Independence Day speech in August, Modi recalled former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s remark on “insaniyat" (humanity), “Kashmiriat" (Kashmiri culture) and “jamhooriyat" (democracy)."

    “I also said that the issues in Kashmir can be resolved by embracing the people of Kashmir," Modi said at the Red Fort.

    “Whether it is of Ladakh or Jammu or Kashmir valley, there should be balanced and equal development. All expectations of the people there should be fulfilled, infrastructure should be strengthened and we should walk with everyone. We don’t want to move in the path of guns and abuse," he said.

    “The hardline approach of military and muscle might will only have an adverse impact. The youth are desperate, they need jobs and only the centre, through a composite dialogue process can address it. Past interlocutors have come and gone but where are their reports? A concerted dialogue with stakeholders will go a long way," said Nisar Ali, former dean of faculty of social sciences at Kashmir University and member of J&K finance commission.

    In 2017, the government had appointed Dineshwar Sharma as an interlocutor to talk to all groups in the state. But none of these measures has made much headway with violence escalating.

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    Published: 19 Feb 2019, 01:13 PM IST
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