Militant killed in attack on BJP worker was Riyaz Naikoo’s close aide: DGP
Director-General of Police Dilbagh Singh on Wednesday said the militant killed in a counter-attack by Public Security Officers (PSO) of a BJP worker in Nunar Ganderbal last evening was a close aide of killed Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Reyaz Naikoo and was sent for specific target killing.
The top police officer of Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) also said that the attacks on the Jammu-Srinagar highway cannot be ruled out as long as militancy continues in the Jammu and Kashmir.
“Last night our protected person Gulam Hassan Rather of Nunar. Two policemen, Altaf Hussain and constable Jahangir were deployed on PSO duties with him. They were leaving from house for other location when militants fired upon them,” the DGP said, adding, “The fire was responded by our brave colleague Altaf Hussain in which he was injured and in the fire he killed the militant who has been identified as Shabir (Ahmad) of Awantipora.”
He said that killed militant was right-hand man and worked as overground worker of Reyaz Naikoo, the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander who was killed on May 6 this year near his native village in Awantipora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
“[Shabir] was sent to Ganderbal. We are proud that the PSO [Altaf Hussain] gave the befitting reply without caring for life and [died in the process]. We are proud of him. We express sympathies to his family. The way he responded to militant firing, we feel proud of him,” he said speaking to the reporters on the sidelines of the wreath laying ceremony here, adding, “[Shabir] was right-hand OGW of Reyaz Naikoo for a long and came into active militant later. He had recently joined active militancy. He was sent for target hitting by Hizb.”
To a question how the security establishment sees the attack in Ganderbal considered to be a peace district and how the militant was able to move to the spot, the DGP said: “For a militant, the entire area is open. He can move from any place. He works on the dictation of Pakistan.”
The top police officer also referred to TRF which he called as “mouthpiece of Pakistan and ISI.”
“Recently 39 journalists were threatened by the TRF. They are the people who are doing their job honestly,” he said as per Global News Service, adding, “They (militants) target people who are working for peace and development on the directions from Pakistan. Pakistan is the big collaborator of the killings. They damage our Kashmiri people… TRF is Pakistan and ISI mouthpiece. They do not people to do their routine work. We have given befitting reply in the past and continue to do so in future.”
Asked if any there was any militant injured in Ganderbal, he said, there is indication given the blood trail. “District SP said that more than one militant was involved.”
Asked about the recent highway attack in which two CRPF men were killed and three others were injured, he said that there are clues on which the police was working. “Very soon we will payback.”
He said that deployments made on the highway are calibrated and one cannot rule out attacks along it. “Amid militancy, one cannot rule out such attacks. You see whenever there is attack on highway, we kill them in counterattack. This is continuous process.”
Asked if there is drone monitoring planned along the highway, he said, “there has been such monitoring at few places. Use of technology will be done in future.” (GNS)
