‘How many militants are active in JK?’
MHA Asks Army, Police, Intelligence Bureau To
‘Reconcile Numbers’
The Union
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked the Army, Police and Intelligence
Bureau (IB) to ‘reconcile’ their figures about the number of ‘active and
infiltrated’ militants in Jammu and Kashmir for the year 2012 as the numbers
put forth by them were varying. “The disparity in the number of active and
infiltrated militants is being reconciled,” a senior MHA official told Greater
Kashmir on the condition of anonymity. “We have directed the security agencies
to reconcile the numbers as soon as possible. I think in coming week the
process will be completed.” The MHA said the Army puts the number of
militants present in J&K at over 400 while the J&K Police has put the
number of active militants at 223. On the other hand, the Multi-Agency Centre
(MAC) working under the aegis of the IB has put this number at 104. “The MAC
says that 42 among them have so far been killed in different anti-militancy
operations in the state,” the senior MHA official said.
An official of the State Home
Department told Greater Kashmir that the huge disparity in numbers first came
up for discussion during the visit of Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde to
Kashmir in the last week of October. “The discussion came up during the
security review meeting and directions were passed to these agencies to
reconcile their figures,” the official said, adding that Shinde was ‘surprised’
to see such huge disparity in numbers. “The representatives of these security
agencies were present when it was discussed,” he said.
In Kashmir, the official said that
most of the militants, according these security agencies, are operating in
Sopore area of Baramulla district, Kupwara and Bandipora in north Kashmir,
Anantnag and Pulwama districts of south Kashmir. In Jammu division, the
official said, the security agencies said militants are active in Poonch,
Ramban and Rajouri. The official said that Police and IB during the meeting put
forth the point that infiltration was at its lowest ebb and so the number of
active militants in J&K has dwindled. The State Home Department believes
that there is also disparity in number of militants infiltrated this year.
“That too is having gaps and numbers are being reconciled,” a source said,
without divulging the disparity.
Pertinently, Chief Minister Omar
Abdullah during a recent press briefing at Sheeri Baramulla in north Kashmir
admitted that there is disparity in number of militants who have infiltrated
this year. “I cannot disclose any number of militants infiltrated this year,”
he had said, adding that Army formation has put one number and other agencies
have put some other numbers. “Let them reconcile the numbers. Then I will be
able to tell you the exact number,” he had said. The issue has, pertinently,
cropped up for discussion during many meetings of security agencies, with
officials pitching for 'reconciling figures' to end disparity.
No comments:
Post a Comment