‘Mosques are shielding terrorists in Kashmir’: Indian Forces requests Islamic bodies to stop & condemn such acts
Seven terrorists were neutralized in Kashmir on Saturday, who were hiding in Jama Masjid after they were given ‘shield’. The army continued their mission without damaging the place of worship.
“Terrorists are using mosques as shelter to attack Indian forces” said Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar today.
He noted that such ‘misuse’ of mosques took place during terror attacks in Shopian (April 9, 2021), Pampore (June 19, 2020) and Sopore (July 1, 2020).
He also appealed to the public, Masjid Intizamia, civil societies and media to condemn such acts because the top Islamic Bodies control the mosques and hopefully the people giving shelter to terrorists will listen to them.
On April 9, a total of five terrorists were killed in an encounter with security in Shopian, where terrorists were holed up inside a mosque.
During this time, the militants went inside the Jama Masjid, making it difficult for the security forces to carry out the operation. The operation against the terrorists began on Thursday and Friday night after a secret input that five terrorists were hiding inside the mosque. Officials said that within some time the area was sealed and civilians were evacuated to safer places.
The Director-General of Police (DGP) on Sunday said that at least 12 militants have been killed in four different operations in the last 72 hours so far.
On July 1 last year, one CRPF personnel and a 65-year-old civilian were killed after the terrorists fired at them from the attic of a mosque in Sopore in North Kashmir. Besides, three other personnel, namely Constables Bhoya Rajesh, Deepak Patil and Nilesh Chawde were also injured.
Earlier on Sunday, the IGP Kashmir had asked the parents of the newly-recruited terrorists in the valley to make continuous appeals to their children to shun the path of violence and not confine themselves to the last appeal.
“Parents should make continuous appeals to the newly-recruited terrorists to return. The appeals should be made regularly. The parents should not confine themselves to the last appeal when their children are trapped in an encounter,” he had said.
But when these terrorirsts are given an upper hand by families and locals who shield them and give them shelter, it makes it difficult for Army, although the terror attacks in kashmir have rapidly decreased.
