The security forces on Oct 16 made a fresh appeal to the militants in Kashmir, to surrender and avail proper rehabilitation.
“We want to reiterate our appeal to the local militants to surrender. We will extend full support if they want to return to the mainstream,'' said IGP Kashmir Muneer Khan. ''Even if they want to surrender during encounters we will accept that. They are our own people,” he added.
The appeal to surrender was jointly made by army, police and CRPF, who are coordinating the operations together, against the militants.
“Doors are open for local militants to surrender. It involve lot of restraints on our part during operations but we are willing to do that”, said commander of 2 Sector RR, Brigadier Sachin Malik.
The fresh appeal has been made a month after security forces asked the local militants to surrender.
Khan said there has been a good response to their appeals to surrender. He said they want to disclose the identity of the persons who have surrendered, ''We have to take into account of the security of the person who surrenders,” said Khan.
The appeal comes in the wake of reports of convergence between purported Al Qaeda affiliate Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind led by Zakir Musa, who broke ranks with Hizbul Mujahideen and other militant outfits.
Khan said that the number of militants has certainly decreased after successful operations. ''We want to make sure that there will be no fresh recruitment,'' he said. ''We have targeted the militant leaders because they carry out the recruitment,'' he added. He also said that a small groups of Jaish-e-Mohammad militants are operating in the south, north, and central Kashmir.
''We killed a Jaish commander in Ladoora and he was seen with four to five cadres. He has been eliminated and we are looking for his associates,”, he said
On braid chopping, Khan said they would conduct a forensic investigation of the blood samples of the victims, to find out the chemical used in the sprays by the mysterious braid choppers.
