Bandipore (Jammu and Kashmir): After five soldiers were killed in the Rajouri encounter with terrorists, Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that whoever is claiming normalcy today in Jammu and Kashmir is not only deceiving himself but also deceiving the people of the country.
The statement comes after the encounter that broke out between terrorists and a joint team of the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the Bajimaal area of Dharamsala earlier this week, which led to the death of five soldiers, including two Army Officers.
"There is no normalcy anywhere. There was normalcy in Rajouri earlier. We had liberated Rajouri from militancy to a great extent. I don't remember anything like this happening in Rajouri during my government. When you talk about North Kashmir, such encounters are seen in many places. Whoever is claiming normalcy today, is not only deceiving himself but also deceiving the people of the country," Omar Abdullah said.
While the forces suffered five casualties on their side, two terrorists, including a top LeT commander and sniper, identified as Quari, were also neutralised.
Quari was infamous for orchestrating several attacks, including the Dangri incident, where six innocent civilians lost their lives on January 23, and the Kandi attacks in Rajouri's Poonch areas.
His elimination marks a significant blow to the revival of terrorism in these districts, according to an army official.
Captain M V Pranjal, Captain Shubham Gupta, Lance Naik Sanjay Bisht and Paratrooper Sachin Laur along with Hav Abdul Majid were the soldiers who laid their lives in the encounter.
The Director General of Police (DGP) of Jammu and Kashmir, RR Swain, said on Saturday that the police officials, along with the Indian Army, will bring terrorism down.
"We should be overly alarmed. Citizens should remain alert; the intent of the adversary is to harm; we have a challenge but we have the will to defeat all their intentions," DGP Swain said while speaking to ANI in Rajouri.
"We are going to bring terrorism down", he added.
—ANI