Srinagar, April 06: Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar on Wednesday said that militants were targeting “soft targets” out of “frustration caused by the killing of 66 militants from JeM and LeT” during winter this season.

Responding to a question by a journalist about militants resorting to soft targets including “CRPF men in Maisuma’ in which one paramilitary trooper was killed and another injured, he said, “You have seen that 66 (militants) were killed during the winter from December to March and included those from JeM, LeT and many foreigners and out of frustration they are targeting soft targets.”

Regarding the Tral encounter, he said AGuH (militant) Safat Muzzaffar Sofi alias Muavia and LeT’s Umer Teli alias Talha were both local militants and were operating in Srinagar.

“After civilian and soft target killing, they had moved to Tral. We were tracking them and as soon as we got the information yesterday, we carried out the raid. Army was called in and both militants were killed”, he said.

“They were involved in killing of Sarpanch Sameer sahib in Khonmoh and grenade throwing.”

To a question if Pakistani militants are “using local” militants, the top police officer said, “You have seen that several foreign militants were killed. Recently in Shopian where one local militant was killed, Pakistani militant escaped. They put local militants in front and attack from behind.”

Asked by recent attacks, he said, “in Pulwama district two incidents happened and poor labourers who had come for work here were attacked. We have identified the militant and very soon he will be neutralized.”

In Shopian, he said, a Kashmir Pandit was targeted and “it happened in a remote village”.” We have got leads and very soon we will neturalize him.”

He said night patrolling is being carried out in a number of villages and “it is increased and joint patrolling will be carried out with the security forces.” gns