Terrorists hiding in forests will be neutralised, says IGP

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, B S Tuti, on Tuesday said terrorists hiding in deep forest areas would be neutralised as they pose a major challenge to the security forces.

Tuti was speaking to mediapersons after the wreath-laying ceremony on Police Commemoration Day at the Police Martyrs’ Memorial in Jammu.

“For the past two years, foreign terrorists have been a major challenge for the security forces. We have strengthened our security grid and I hope that we will be able to neutralise these ultras,” said Tuti.

He said several encounters had taken place in the past two years, particularly in the mountainous parts of the Jammu region, where Pakistan-trained terrorists hiding in forests have ambushed Army vehicles, resulting in the loss of many soldiers.

Tuti added that terrorists and criminals were using technology to bypass the security grid. “It is a war of technology, and criminals and terrorists bring in new tech to evade security systems. But we are also evolving the grid and trying to stay ahead. Our policing is data-driven and our focus is always on achieving maximum results with minimum resources,” he said.

The IGP stated that nearly 120 counter-terror operations were launched daily across the Jammu zone. “Whether it is a speculative operation or one based on precise information, these are carried out regularly,” he said.

Police Commemoration Day is observed in honour of ten valiant CRPF personnel who made the supreme sacrifice on October 21, 1959, during an ambush by heavily armed Chinese troops at Hot Springs in Ladakh.

“The number of people martyred fighting terrorism in the Jammu zone is only part of our duty. We must also remember comrades who lost their lives performing traffic duties or combating criminals. Fighting terrorism is a prime duty, but our responsibilities are wide-ranging. We salute all our brave comrades who have been martyred,” Tuti said.

Commemorative events were held across all ten districts of Jammu, with senior officers, retired personnel, families of martyrs and members of civil society in attendance.

J & K