NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry has directed the Central paramilitary forces deployed in Jammu and Kashmir to exercise “maximum” restraint while controlling violent mobs in the Valley in view of the considerable improvement in the security situation during the last two weeks.
While stray incidents of stone pelting have been reported during the period, the intensity of such attacks has recorded a marked decline. Usually, the mobs indulge in heavy stone pelting and target the security forces. The security forces had to hardly fire any pellets during the period.
The Government has asked the forces not to use the pellet guns and avoid using force unless the situation is really grave.
Officials said while the Government policy is to be tough against the infiltrators on the border and the Line of Control (LoC), it wants to handle the situation in the hinterland in a sensitive manner in order to regain peace.
At the same time, the Government has also directed the forces to be on maximum alert to thwart any possible attack by 250-300 Pakistan-sponsored terrorists hiding in the Valley who could exploit the lull in violence and trick the forces on the ground. The Government has also directed the forces deployed on the border to avert any infiltration bid by the jehadis from across the border, an official said.
“The next two weeks are important as the terrorists might seek to strike, possibly on a defence or security installation after the relative peace on the ground for past two weeks. The terror groups might try to disturb the ensuing peace by carrying out some major attack,” a senior official involved with the Multi-Agency Centre meetings relating to Jammu and Kashmir.
The official further added that there could be a sudden spurt in the attacks after the next two week and the security and Intelligence agencies already in a heightened alert to deal with such eventualities.
Apart from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) that is the lead counter-terror and anti-terrorist agency deployed in a major way in the State, significant numbers of the Sasashtra Seema Bal and Indo-Tibetan Border Police are also present in the Valley for internal security responsibilities.