Six terrorists killed in two major operations in south Kashmir
Awantipora (J-K) (PTI): After the April 22 Pahalgam attack, security forces turned the focus of their anti-terror operations to specific areas in south Kashmir and eliminated six terrorists in the past three days, officials said on Friday.
"The security agencies reviewed their strategy according to the situation in the wake of terror activities in the last one month and our intensified focus was on operations," said V K Birdi, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir.
The IGP was addressing a press conference with General Officer Commanding, Victor Force, Major General Dhananjay Joshi at the headquarters of the Victor Force here in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.
Birdi said that due to the intensified focus and coordination between various security agencies, two successful operations were conducted in which six terrorists were killed. He termed their elimination "significant achievements".
"These successful operations were possible because of the coordination and synergy among the security and intelligence agencies. We are duty-bound to end any terror activity in Kashmir and we are always ready to stop such acts," the IGP said.
The encounters took place in the Keller area of Shopian and the Nadar area of Tral in Pulwama on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. Three terrorists each were killed in the two operations.
Victor Force GOC Major Joshi said immediately after the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, the security forces designated several areas as focus areas.
"We had intelligence inputs that terrorists had moved to the higher reaches after the melting of snow. Keeping that in mind, our domination parties had continuously been deployed in the higher reaches, mountainous areas and forests," he said.
The security agencies received an intelligence input about the presence of terrorists in the Keller area of Shopian on the night of May 12, Major Joshi said.
"So the domination party that was deployed there for some time, relocated itself and in a focused way closed in on the area. They challenged the terrorists who fired at them, leading to an encounter in which three terrorists were neutralised," he said.
About the Tral encounter, the GoC said the operation took place in a different terrain.
"We had inputs and cordoned off the village. The terrorists took positions in different houses and fired. Our challenge was the safe evacuation of innocent civilians including children. Then systematically searches were conducted one by one in the houses and the three terrorists were neutralised in separate places," he added.
The successful conduct of both the operations shows that the security forces will find terrorists wherever they are and neutralise them, Major Joshi said.
Of the six slain terrorists, the main one was Shahid Kuttay, who was involved in major attacks. The attacks included one on a sarpanch in Heerpora, Shopian on May 18 last year and the firing incident at Danish Resort on April 8 last year in which two German tourists and a driver were injured, the officer said.
"Kuttay was also involved in fundraising and other activities," he added.
Neutralisation of both the modules has dealt a blow to terror outfits and will help in stopping terror activities here and bring peace, Maj Joshi said.
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Woman, 2 sons found dead in Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): Three members of a family were found dead inside their home in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji on Friday, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, officials said.
Police said the incident came to light around 2.47 pm when a police team reached the premises to execute a court order related to possession of the property. When repeated knocks went unanswered, the staff used a duplicate key to open the door.
Inside, officers found Anuradha Kapoor (52) and her sons, Ashish Kapoor (32) and Chaitanya Kapoor (27), hanging from the ceiling, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said in a statement. All three were declared dead.
A handwritten note was recovered from the room, suggesting the family had been struggling with depression.
"The handwritten note indicates emotional distress faced by the family due to which the family may have taken the extreme step," the officer said.
The bodies have been shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) mortuary for post-mortem and other legal formalities under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), police said.
Residents of the neighbourhood said they were shocked to learn about the deaths, adding that the family kept largely to themselves.
Pankaj Kashyap, a resident of Girinagar, said he learnt about the deaths while leaving for work. "I live and work here and was leaving for work when I saw many people standing outside and talking. That is how I got to know that three people had committed suicide. I also saw several police vehicles outside, but I do not know much beyond that," he said.
Baldev, another neighbour, said the family had been living in the newly constructed house for around two years. "We only knew that a mother and her two children lived there. They had moved into the newly built house around two years ago. We did not interact much with them. Today we heard that all three have committed suicide, and whatever we know is based on what people here are saying," he said.
Another neighbour, Ramesh Kumar, claimed the family had earlier attempted suicide.
"About fifteen to twenty days ago, the two sons in the family had attempted suicide and police and ambulances had come. That was when I first got to know who they were. I do not recognise them by face, but we saw the ambulances and police take the two sons that day. Today again we saw ambulances and police arriving, so everyone came out to see what had happened. I do not know how long they had been living here, but this is all we know," he said.
Police said they are examining the family's financial condition, social circumstances, and other factors that may have contributed to the incident. Further investigation is underway.
