NEW DELHI: The Army Chief sent out a strong warning to the Kashmiri youth. Those pelting stones at security personnel engaged in anti-terror operations would be treated as anti-nationals and would face harsh action, General Bipin Rawat warned on Wednesday. The reaction came after Rawat’s discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who landed in Palam technical area to pay homage to soldiers killed in encounters on Tuesday. Modi made a surprise visit to the air base after attending a rally in Uttar Pradesh. Rawat briefed the Prime Minister on the prevailing situation in the Valley.
“Local population not only restricts the movement of the security personnel during operations, at times, they even help the terrorists escape,” he is reported to have told the PM. “We would now request the local population that people who have picked up arms, and they are the local boys, if they want to continue with the acts of terrorism displaying flags of ISIS and Pakistan, then we will treat them as anti-national elements and go after for them... They may survive today but we will get them tomorrow. Our relentless operations will continue,” said Rawat.