Srinagar, May 05: Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh Tuesday said that anti-militancy operations will be intensified further across Kashmir and that the security forces have to bear losses in the form of killing of its men, at times.

The DGP was speaking to media men at RTC Humhama on the sidelines of wreath laying ceremony of three CRPF men killed in a brief shoot out at Wangam, Kralgund Handwara yesterday evening in which a mentally unsound boy was also killed.

“After covering their area, the CRPF men were standing in an orchard and they saw some civilians coming and asked them to stop. There were two militants behind civilians who opened fired at the CRPF men, who retaliated fully.

In between, a mentally unsound boy got stuck and he also died,” DGP Singh said. He paid rich tributes to security forces personnel who laid their lives recently including those killed in yesterday’s attack.

Replying to a query that whether militants have intensified their attacks on forces, the J&K police chief said that security arrangements will be further strengthened and anti-militancy operations further intensified across Kashmir.

“You must have seen that security arrangements were already strengthen and anti-militancy operations were going on and these will be further intensified,” he said.

Asked that security forces had declared Baramulla militancy free, the DGP said since there was no active militant in the district but there has been some infiltration and some have sneaked in and mingled with those active in Sopore area, who were already “on our radar.”

“In Handwara, the militants were chased for three days after which they were zeroed in at a house. Unfortunately, we lost two army officers, two soldiers and a police sub-inspector in the encounter,” DGP said.

“They were the same officers, who had chased these militants killed in Handwara for three days.” He said that security forces have to bear losses in the form of killing of its men, at times. “At times, we have to bear losses too,” the J&K police chief said.

He said that wherever security forces get information about militants, operations are launched and militants are being chases. “We will continue to chase the militants involved in the attacks on forces,” DGP Singh said.

Replying to a query that police is facing multiple challenges in times of pandemic Covid, he said that security forces are maintaining close synergy and working very professionally.

“Police personnel in thousands are everywhere on roads, quarantine centres, with screening teams, contact tracing, at red zones, orange zones and at the same time maintaining law and order and also fighting militants very effectively. Our men are fulfilling all responsibilities in a professional manner,” the DGP said. (KNO)