Don't obstruct anti-terror activities, stay away from area of operations — CRPF to Kashmiri locals

New Delhi: In the wake of the civilian casualties and injuries during the stone pelting that occurred on the sidelines of the Budgam encounter in Jammu and Kashmir today, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has made a fervent appeal to the locals of the Valley to not pose as an obstruction in the path of security forces while they are combating terrorists.

"I believe that the people of Kashmir should let law take its own course and not obstruct the operation as the operations are against militants. They should let us do our duty. We appeal to the people of Kashmir to stay away from the area of operations," CRPF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Dr. Sanjay Kumar told ANI.

Further briefing about the Budgam encounter, Kumar said that the obstruction by the locals made their operation even more difficult, as they were forced to divert their attention from the militants.

"The operation was really difficult because, we had to fight it on two different platforms. One was against the militants and other was the local people. Out of them, few people really made our day difficult. Lot of commotions, stone pelting, abusing and injuring our people, this made the operation really difficult," Kumar said.

Informing that 43 CRPF jawans were injured and police reported that 20 of their men were injured in the stone pelting today, the DIG called on the locals of the Valley to steer clear of their operations and not pose as an obstruction.

Meanwhile, sources have said that Pakistan was responsible for the violence in Budgam today, which witnessed an encounter as well as a major incident of stone-pelting in which three civilians were killed and 60 security personnel sustained injuries. Pakistan is to be blamed for the recent spree of encounters that are happening in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Kashmiri locals are being tormented and brain washed by the separatist leaders of Pakistan and Kashmir and it is the Army and the Paramilitary Force that are protecting and safeguarding the people there, while the Centre and state government are monitoring the situation, sources added.

Earlier in the day, three stone pelters were killed in retaliatory firing by security forces near the site of the Budgam encounter in Jammu and Kashmir. The stone pelters could be seen attacking the forces while a gunbattle was underway with terrorists, during which they were killed.

At least 17 stone pelters have been injured in the firing by forces.The security forces had launched a search operation following a tipoff about the presence of terrorists, which then became an encounter.