Army will resume anti-militancy operations in south Kashmir: GOC (Correcting para 4)

Lieutenant General D.S. Hooda, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Army's Northern Command, on Friday said the army will soon resume anti-militancy operations in south Kashmir areas that were suspended due to the law and order situation.

The army officer said anti-militancy operations were carried out by the army in north Kashmir areas during the ongoing unrest in the Valley.

The army was always ready to assist the civil administration and will respond to such request immediately whenever it is made, General Hooda told the media at the Badami Bagh headquarters of the army's 15 corps in Srinagar.

He also said that no sanction had been given for a raid at Khrew village of southern Pulwama district on Wednesday night. A teacher, Shabir Ahmad Mongu, 30, was allegedly beaten to death by soldiers during the raid.

"What happened is highly regrettable. The army has already ordered an inquiry into the incident," the Northern Command chief said.

The army commander, who is the senior most army officer in the state, said the worst sufferers of the present crisis in the Valley were the Kashmiri people.

The Lieutenant General also called on Governor N.N. Vohra at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar.

An official statement said the GOC-in-C discussed the security situation with the Governor during the meeting.

"Matters concerning internal security and the need to exercise restraint by the security forces while dealing with the situation were discussed," the statement said.

Lieutenant General S.K. Dua, Corps Commander of the 15th Corps, accompanied the GOC-in-C during the meeting.

--IANS

sq/tsb/bg