The warning came a day after four army personnel, including a Major, were killed in two separate encounters
Image: Narendra Modi/Twitter Handle
Army chief General Bipin Rawat has warned residents of the Valley in J&K of “tough action” against anyone creating “hurdles” in the way of the army during security operations, or “helping the terrorists to escape”. He added that those displaying Pakistani or ISIS would be treated as “anti-nationals.”
The army chief’s tough talk came a day after four army personnel, including a major, were killed during two separate encounters in the Valley. He was addressing the media after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he had paid tributes to the soldiers who lost their lives on Tuesday.
In yet another incident, two more jawans were killed in another encounter on Sunday.
“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”, said General Rawat.
He added:
“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.
“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 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 warned that “if they do not relent and create hurdles in our operations, then we will take tough action”.
Holding a carrot after waving the stick, stating that Kashmiri youth were being an opportunity to return to the mainstream General Rawat said: I’d once again request the parents of these young boys… who have somehow because of propaganda in the 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 young boys. Our idea is to bring them into the mainstream. But if they wish to remain in the same manner, we will target them with harsher measures”, he warned.