KISHTWAR, NOVEMBER 12: Jammu and Kashmir Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma on Thursday said that the old terror-supporting network in the region had not been completely dismantled, asserting that remnants of the ecosystem sustaining terrorism were still active.
His remarks came after the bullet-riddled bodies of two missing Special Police Officers (SPOs) were recovered from the remote Dachhan area of Kishtwar district on Thursday morning.
Terming the killings extremely unfortunate, Sharma alleged that terrorists had kidnapped the two personnel while they were travelling through a dense forest from Dherna towards Kiad. He said the incident indicated that terrorist elements, despite facing setbacks, were still attempting to re-establish their presence.
"Peace is gradually being established in Jammu and Kashmir, yet frustrated elements carry out such acts merely to signal their presence. Two of our SPOs were travelling through a dense forest when terrorists kidnapped them. Reports have now confirmed that both have been martyred, and their bodies have been recovered," Sharma said.
The BJP leader said he was heading towards the incident site along with Kishtwar MLA Shagun Parihar and the district party president to assess the situation.
Expressing concern over the incident, Sharma said that although terrorist elements were close to being eliminated, their continued activities remained a challenge for security agencies.
Asked whether an over-ground worker (OGW) network was re-emerging in the Valley, particularly in Kishtwar, Sharma said he did not believe that an entirely new network had been established. However, he maintained that the existing terror-supporting network had not been completely dismantled.
"I wouldn't say that a major new network has been established. Rather, the old network has not yet been completely dismantled. The ecosystem that supported terrorism here is still present in some form or another, which has allowed such an incident to take place. However, whatever remnants remain will also be eliminated," he said.
The two slain SPOs were identified as Babi Chand (57) and Rashpal Kumar (45). Both were posted with the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the local police at Kiyar village in Dachhan. They had gone missing on Wednesday while travelling from their camp towards an Army post at Dharna-Marwah.
Kishtwar MLA Shagun Parihar also expressed grief over their killings, describing the incident as deeply tragic. She said the bodies of the two personnel were recovered at around 8 am and 9 am, respectively.
Parihar said the two SPOs belonged to the southern region and their killing was a matter of serious concern.
Officials said the service weapons of the slain personnel were missing, raising suspicions of a possible militant involvement in the incident.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Kulgam district, security forces continued a massive cordon and search operation (CASO) for nearly 17 hours following an attack on CRPF personnel at a security checkpoint in Nowpora Akhran.
Unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants had opened fire on the CRPF personnel at around 2.15 pm on Wednesday before fleeing the spot, leaving three personnel injured.
The injured personnel were shifted to a hospital in Anantnag district for treatment. Security forces launched an extensive search operation to track down the attackers, which continued for nearly 17 hours on Thursday.
