No stone-pelting, situation good: Governor

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 19

Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday said the ground situation in Kashmir was “very good”, with no incidents of stone pelting being reported even after Friday prayers. He assured that the conduct of Amarnath yatra, beginning from July 1, would be smooth and peaceful.

The Governor was talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a police function held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) here on Wednesday. He said a large number of tourists were coming to Kashmir and they were feeling safe. “There is no threat to common man and tourists,” Malik asserted.

During the past four to six months, militancy related incidents were “subdued” to a large extent, the Governor said. Stray incidents of militant violence were taking place and these would also be checked. The government would take all possible steps to stop such incidents as they were a “challenge for us”, he stated.

Malik maintained that militants were also under pressure from across the border to show their presence by initiating violence.

He said “People understand the futility of violence….. and they have seen how militancy is being tackled by the present government,” as compared to the previous governments. Two youths had returned from the militants’ fold recently and had joined their families in Kashmir.

The Governor said recruitment of new militants was very less and expressed the hope that situation would improve further in the state.

5 Hizb OGWs arrested in Shopian 

• Security forces have arrested five overground workers (OGWs) of the Hizbul Mujahideen in Shopian district, the police said on Wednesday. An official spokesman said an improvised explosive device (IED), which the militants were planning to use against security forces, was recovered at the instance of arrested persons

• “During questioning of the arrested persons, it was revealed that terrorists, along with their associates, were planning to target the police and security forces by planting an IED in the area,” he said. PTI