“We aim to protect minorities of South Kashmir”: CRPF IG MS Bhatia

Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 4 (ANI): Inspector General of CRPF (operations) Kashmir M S Bhatia on Friday said that forces are striving to provide full security to the “fear-stricken” members of the minority community.

“We conduct regular inspections and send consistent alerts to our minority pickets of CRPF. We aim to protect minorities of South Kashmir and we maintain regular contact with them, for the same,” said IG Bhatia on Friday. IG Bhatia credited CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police for conducting encounters in good coordination.
He also referred to the Pampore encounter (Monday) in which two active local terrorists were killed. One soldier also lost his life in the encounter.

“A few days ago 2 active local terrorists, Aqib and Aijaz were killed in an encounter. CRPF & JKP have conducted encounters in good coordination and the results of the same can be seen,” IG said.

Mentionable, in Monday’s encounter, the security forces fired with extreme caution to preserve the sacred precincts, while neutralising one terrorist on the spot.
“Ensuring the sanctity of the mosque, the security forces closed in and appealed to the terrorists to surrender. The terrorists, however, opened indiscriminate fire on security forces and used civilians in the target area as a shield to escape when cornered,” Defence PRO had said in a statement issued after the incident.

“The security forces displayed utmost restraint and evacuated civilians praying inside the mosque, preventing any collateral damage,” it added.