Upbeat after killing of six Pakistani terrorist, including LeT chief Zakir-ur-Rehman Lakhvi’s nephew Osama Jungi alias Owaid, top brass of the Army, CRPF and police on Sunday said that the leadership of the (Lashkar-e-Tayiba) LeT has been “wiped out” and appealed to Kashmiri militants to not be a proxy of Pakistan, and return to the mainstream.

The top officers, including the Commander of the Srinagar based 15 Corps, Lt General JS Sandhu, J-K police DGP SP Vaid, GOC of Victor Force Maj Gen BS Raju, IGP of CRPF Zulfikar Khan and IGP (Kashmir) Munir Khan, addressed media persons in the Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar on Sunday to give details of the counter-insurgency operations.

Lt Gen Sandhu said that the Kashmiri boys in militancy should realise that Pakistan is using them as proxies. It is easy to call yourself “mujahid”, but are you a mujahid or a proxy of Pakistan, he asked.

Appealing militants to lay down their arms and surrender, Lt Gen Sandhu said; “Come back to the mainstream, this will facilitate return of peace to the valley. We are ready to receive you in an honorable manner.”

He said that sustained counter-insurgency operations in the valley have resulted in a remarkable change in the security situation.

During successful operations this year in the valley, 190 militants, including 110 foreign, militants have been killed and out of the 110 foreign-origin militants as many as 66 were eliminated on the line of control (LOC), while they were infiltrating. Killing of about 130 terrorists in the hinterland has helped bring situation under control in Kashmir.

Lt Gen Sandhu said that under the ongoing Operation All Out, the Pakistani terrorists were being eliminated but efforts were being made to persuade the local militants to surrender.

On militants taking advantage of the weather conditions on the LOC to infiltrate into India, he said the Army is undertaking measures to plug the gaps in the border by installing “smart components and better technology”.

The DGP, SP Vaid, stressed that the Kashmir valley needs to be freed from terror and drugs. Efforts of the Army, police, CRPF and intelligence agencies have brought a turn-around in the situation and hoped that peace will be restored soon.

Vaid said that Saturday’s operation has helped cleansing the Hajin area of terrorists whose terror activities were being witnessed in the last few months.

“More than 60 youth have been weaned away from militancy and it is encouraging that more mothers are appealing to their sons to return home. We will facilitate and help”, he said.

IGP of CRPF, Zulfikar said that after the surrender by the local footballer Majid Mir, we are getting feelers from local militants about their intention to surrender.

The CRPF has launched a helpline “Madadgar” with phone number 14411 where the militants, their family members or friends can contact to facilitate any surrender. The Army and the state police have also set up such helplines.

Zulfikar assured that there will be no harassment of those who surrender and our response to them will be “more than their expectations”.