Some vested interests blow Kokernag encounter out of proportion: J&K Police Chief

Stating that the recent Kokernag encounter, in which two army officers and a police officer lost their lives, has not changed the peaceful situation in Kashmir, Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh on Wednesday said the situation continues to remain peaceful as it was before.

“It is the handiwork of some vested interests to blow the Kokernag encounter out of proportion. (But) the situation continues to remain peaceful as it was before the encounter,” he told reporters after inaugurating the modular police station at Katra in Jammu.

The DGP, however, said that it was always advantageous for those who opened fire first and “in Kokernag operation, terrorists opened the fire first” leading to the killing of three officers.

“When security forces open fire at the terrorists first, it is to our advantage. In Kokernag, terrorists were waiting and took advantage of the fire first that led to the killing of two army officers and a police officer,” the DGP said.

He said that the operation took seven days and was conducted successfully. “We killed dreaded LeT terrorist Uzair Khan alongwith his associate. I am proud of the security forces’ teams that took part in the operation as it was difficult to trace and locate the hiding terrorists on a vast mountain,” Singh maintained.

He vowed that police and security forces were committed to root out terror from J&K. “We are chasing the remaining terrorists and will eliminate them soon,” the DGP asserted.