Facilitating militants' escape may prove costly!

Even after a clear advisory by the Army Chief General Rawat to a section of people in Kashmir who jumps into the areas of encounters of security forces with the militants on run, apparently fell almost flat as on ground position. The security forces had to call off their counter insurgency operation today (Saturday) after facing stiff resistance from a section of people who hit the roads and pelted stones on the security jawans in Urivan hamlet of Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Strangely, the incident occurred two days after District Magistrate issued advisory asking people to stay away from encounter sites. Such trend that has been developing in the last two years is not good sign for counter insurgency operations in the turmoil-hit Kashmir valley.

Such situation while make it easy for the terrorists to escape, the information about whom were gathered with very hard efforts, but also put the lives of civilians in severe danger and those of security jawans too who were putting their lives at stake to ensure peace in the valley.

If the trend is not reversed immediately the unscrupulous element in the valley would surely prompt the gullible people to turn the table against the state and turmoil to further worsened.

In today's incident, reports said that after receiving inputs about the presence of two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants, Army personnel from 55 Rashtriya Rifles, Special Operation Group of Jammu Kashmir Police from Pulwama and Newa cordoned off Urivan village. Forces when started a combing operation, the local population attacked Army and SOG personnel with stones. However, the forces exercised maximum restraint while in a bid to keep locals away from the village, they called reinforcement that extended cordon to adjoining village.

After active clashes that lasted for over an hour left many locals injured and finally in the wake of worsening situation, the security forces decided to retreat by abandoning the operation.

While it is prudent on the part of the security forces to leave the operation mid-way in such a situation, the miscreants are highly mistaken in their sense of perception that the security forces were helpless. The forces has other options which may not be pleasant in a democratic set up available in India. Underestimating the armed forces will not good for the prevailing situation in the valley. The Army has already taken its cognizance and its chief has called for an advisory to avoid civilian losses. We hope the good sense will prevail upon.