Srinagar:Admitting security lapse in the militant attack that left two municipal councilors and a policeman dead in north Kashmir's Sopore, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar on Tuesday said if the security personnel had retaliated effectively, the result could have been different.
He said one Over Ground Worker (OGW), who provided logistic support to the militants, was arrested late on Monday evening.
“Yesterday a meeting was taking place in Sopore Municipal Committee (SMC) officer. The chairman should have informed police so that additional security could have been deployed there. But, they had four police personnel present at the spot. When the attack happened, the jawans should have retaliated and killed the militants…. They (policemen) could have prevented the incident,” Mr Kumar told reporters.
So, he said it was a security lapse, adding all the four policemen have been suspended. “One OGW, identified as ?Ashiq Pandit, was arrested on Monday evening. The OGW has revealed that the attack was carried by a local Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant, Mudasir Pandit, and a Pakistani militant,” Mr Kumar said.
The IGP said that the planning of the attack was done at the residence of the OGW. “More arrests in the case could happen in the coming days,” he added.
Mr Kumar said security forces have intensified anti-militancy operations and those involved in the Sopore attack will be neutralized very soon.
About recent order from Regional Transport Officer Kashmir, asking people to register vehicles brought from outside J&K, the IGP said few vehicles seized recently were used by militants to carry out attacks on security forces. “It is mandatory to register vehicles purchased from other states in J&K within 15 days. Some people have not registered their vehicles from last over a year. During many attacks on security forces, militants have used such vehicles,” he said.
“So, we have started the drive to plug this loophole… people should also cooperate in this,” he added.(UNI)