Majid Jahangir

With the killing of three local Lashkar-e-Toiba ultras on Wednesday, north Kashmir’s Baramulla has been declared the first militant-free police district in the Valley.

Three militants — Suhaib Akhoon, Mohsin Bhat of and Nasir Darzi — all residents of Baramulla district were killed in a gunfight with security forces at Binner on the outskirts of Baramulla town on Wednesday. Akhoon, a top commander of the Lashkar in north Kashmir, was active since December 2017.

“With this (the killing of three militants), Baramulla has become the first district in Kashmir with no surviving militant as on date,” said a police statement issued after the gunfight.

“The J&K Police extend their thanks to the local population for their support in providing a better security environment in the district,” it said.

It is for the first time since militancy erupted in Kashmir in 1989 that the Baramulla police district has no resident militant. Baramulla always had the presence of local militants.

In 2015, over 20 militants were active in the Baramulla police district and all of them have been neutralised, the police said.

Baramulla has two police districts — Baramulla and Sopore. While Baramulla has no resident militant, Sopore sub-district has nearly 30 active militants, including a dozen locals.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Baramulla, Imtiyaz Hussain said there was no resident militant in the Baramulla police district right now. He said they had made huge efforts to prevent youth from joining militancy.

“It is not the killing of the militant that has been our focus. We have made huge efforts to prevent youths from joining militancy. The families have been a great support in preventing the recruitment,” the Baramulla SSP said.

While the militant recruitment has been on a rise in the Valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in 2016, Baramulla district has not seen much recruitment.

Last year, when over 190 youths joined militant ranks across Kashmir, which was the highest in a decade, a few youths from Baramulla took up arms.

Around 100 militants, a majority of them foreigners, are active in north Kashmir’s Kupwara, Bandipora, Handwara and Sopore. South Kashmir’s Pulwama and Shopian has the highest number of active militants among all districts of the Valley.

Meanwhile, a spontaneous shutdown was observed in Baramulla on Thursday against the killing of three local militants. Security forces had sealed several roads leading to the old town and Khanpora to restrict movement of people and to maintain law and order. A large number of people, who raised “pro-freedom” and “anti-India” slogans, attended the funeral prayers of the slain militants.

No resident ultra

• It is for the first time since militancy erupted in Kashmir in 1989 that the Baramulla police district has no resident militant. Baramulla always had the presence of local militants
• In 2015, over 20 militants were active in the Baramulla police district and all of them have been neutralised, the police said
• While the militant recruitment has been on a rise in the Valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in 2016, Baramulla district has not seen much recruitment 

Courtesy:The Tribune,Jan25,2019