Focus more on foreign terrorists as number of local terrorists minimal in J-K, says DGP Swain

Srinagar, June 01:The Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) R R Swain Saturday said that the focus of security agencies is more on foreign terrorists than the local ones. He said as the number of active local terrorists is minimal.

The police chief said five-years ago the number of local terrorists was between 150-200 and that the number has come down to 20-22.

He said that the foreign terrorists infiltrate with an ideology to instill fear in local population and to kill defenceless civillians.

“The security challenges at present are overwhelmingly external. Even though foreign element was present there earlier as well, the focus of terrorism at present has shifted from resident terrorism to foreign terrorism as we have very few local boys active,” he said.

“The challenge is posed by foreign terrorists who infiltrate here with a poisoned and intoxicated ideology to instil fear, intimidate people and to kill unarmed people. At times, they engage with the security forces as well. Most of them are retrieved from jail and tasked to kill people here whom they don’t know at all," he said as per news agency KNO.

He said police along with other security agencies are understanding the modus-operandi of foreign terrorists. “We will comprehensively defeat them very soon,” Swain said.

About the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, the DGP said that the police had hired 6000 vehicles to transport and deploy security personnel across the Union Territory.

“Securing the polling booths, polling material and ferrying the men from one place to another was a mega task. We are happy to see huge participation of people in the Lok Sabha polls,” he said.

“Police acted as the major coordinating security agency for the other agencies like army and Central forces," he said.

He said security forces ensured a “peaceful campaigning atmosphere” for the candidates who were engaged in campaigning till late evening. “The people’s participation in Lok Sabha polls triggered a virtuous security system,” the DGP said.

About the arrangements for counting of votes on June 4, the DGP Swain said that each counting centre is under the 24x7 monitoring of CCTVs.

“There are at least two companies of forces at the designated counting centres,” he said.