Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said that security forces in Kashmir are suffering higher casualties as the “local population” is “preventing” them from conducting their operations and “at times even supporting the terrorists to escape”. He has warned those who create such “hurdles” during the security operations and help the “terrorists to escape” or display flags of Pakistan and the Islamic State, would be treated as “anti-nationals”, and the Army would “get them” and take “tough action”.
“These terrorists who have now graduated to the villages, as we are conducting operations against them, we find that the local population is somehow not supportive of the actions of the security forces.”
“While our aim has been to conduct people-friendly operations, the manner in which the local population is preventing us from conducting the operations, at times even supporting the terrorists to escape, it is these factors which are leading to higher casualties among the security forces,” General Rawat said.
“We would now request the local population that people who have picked up arms and these are the local boys, if they want to continue with the acts of terrorism, displaying flags of IS and Pakistan, then we will treat them as anti-national elements and go helter-skelter for them. They may survive today but we will get them tomorrow. Our relentless operations will continue,” he said.
If “they do not relent and create hurdles in our operations, then we will take tough action,” he added.
He said: “I’d once again request the parents of these young boys, who have somehow, because of propaganda in social media, taken the path of violence, to return to the fold. We are giving them an opportunity, but should they want to continue, then we will continue with relentless operations, maybe with harsher measures and that is the way to continue.”
“Our idea is not to kill these young boys. Our idea is to bring them into the mainstream. But if they wish to remain in this manner, we will target them with harsher measures,” he warned.
By Premji
