Says move aimed to counter terrorists having M-4 carbines, other weapons; Terrorists can give a leg cut but can’t defeat us; Police top brass have decided to regularise SPOs for their brave acts against terrorists; Committed to strengthen VDGs, police in Kathua district
Amir Tantray
Jammu, Jun 28 :
Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Police (DGP) R R Swain Friday said that to counter the terrorists holding modern weapons, the police is procuring latest arms from Israel and Germany to boost the weaponry of the force.
Talking to reporters on the side-lines of a function where nine special police officers (SPOs) were regularised for their brave role in Kathua encounter that saw killing of two foreign terrorists, the DGP Swain, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that police were procuring weapons from Israel and Germany to boost its weaponry. “We will be having the latest weapon system to counter our enemy,” he said, in response to a query that slain terrorists in Doda encounter were having United States (US) made M-4 carbines with them.
The DGP with the new procurement of arms from Israel and Germany will give a boost to the police forces’ weaponry and also help tackle the enemy in a much better way. “Terrorists can give us a leg cut but can’t defeat us,” he said.
It may be recalled that between June 9 and 12, four terrorism-related incidents in the Reasi, Doda and Kathua districts of hilly Jammu claimed the lives of ten people, including seven pilgrims returning from the Shiv Khori temple and a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan and left many others injured. DGP Swain recently stated that police were ready to take on foreign terrorists in Jammu and will not shy from firing the first bullet. In recent two encounters at Kathua and Doda, five foreign terrorists were killed and three US made M-4 carbines were recovered from them besides other weapons.
The DGP while hailing the courage and valour of Kathua people, said that when he served as the SSP in the district, elderly people would often tell him the tales of how locals of Kathua supported the army in wars against the enemy including the 1965 war. “Patriotism is deeply filled in the hearts of Kathua people. We have decided to strengthen the Village Defence Guards (VDGs) of Kathua district,” he said.
About the regularisation of SPOs, DGP Swain said that police top brass has unanimously decided to move beyond the normal procedure and regularise the SPOs who take terrorists head on. “The brave acts of SPOs will be recognised and within 24 hours, the SPOs will be regularised for their brave acts,” he said in his message to all 20,000 SPOs serving the J&K police—(KNO)