Stone pelting cases down in Kashmir post NIA raids: CRPF chief

Central Reserve Police Force Director General R R Bhatnagar on Saturday said the investigation and raids being conducted by the National Investigation Agency into terror funding led to a decline in stone pelting in Kashmir Valley.

"There is an effect following the actions by all the agencies. There is also an effect because of what NIA is doing. The way stone pelting was happening in a coordinated manner, this (NIA raids) will definitely stop that," Bhatnagar told reporters.

He was asked whether stone pelting had reduced in the valley in the aftermath of the NIA investigation into terror funding.

The CRPF chief visited the District Police Lines in Pulwama in south Kashmir which was stormed by three terrorists on August 26.

While all the three terrorists, belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit, were killed, four CRPF jawans and four Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel also lost their lives in the nearly 24-hour gunbattle.

Bhatnagar paid tributes to the slain security forces personnel, saying "we will not let their sacrifices go waste".

Asked whether the killed militants were part of any bigger group of JeM, Bhatnagar, "They (three slain militants) have not been identified yet. They seem to be foreign. I will not go into numbers as they are not important. The important thing is that we are ready for every challenge."

"Whatever the numbers, you have seen that we have achieved success (in recent months). We have neutralised about 148 militants, including top commanders, this year. We will continue such actions in the future as well along with JK Police and the Army," he said.

He said the anti-militancy operations in the valley would continue.

"They are intelligence-based ongoing operations and these will continue," he said.