J&K militants kidnap 11 relatives of policemen
‘EAR FOR AN EAR’ Retaliation for arrest of their relatives; three of the kidnapped released after cops let off Hizb leader’s father
Militants in Kashmir abducted 11 relatives of state police personnel early on Friday in an apparent retaliation of police detention of the families of three Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists a day before, amid mounting tension in the Valley.
The 11 family members were abducted from villages in the Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Anantnag districts of south Kashmir over the past 48 hours following allegations that security forces set fire to the homes of militant leaders during night raids.
Among those arrested by pol– ice on Thursday included Asadullah Naikoo, the father of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naickoo and one of the mostwanted militants in the Valley, from Awantipora home in south Kashmir, a day after four policemen were killed in Shopian.
“I was on duty at police training school Manigam when I got news about abduction of my younger son. I don’t know why my son was kidnapped. I am a cook and have never harmed anyone in my life,’’ said Ghulam Hassan Mir, a cook in police training college Manigam in Ganderbal.
On Friday afternoon, police released Asadullah in an apparent attempt to tamp down tensions.
SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI:
Riyaz Naikoo had said in a statement released on social media on Friday that the police had compelled the militants to act against families by arresting a non-combatant relative of a militant. “Ear for an ear, family member for family member,’’ he had tweeted, also threatening policemen with brutal death.
Hours after his father’s release, Kashmiri news agencies reported that militants released three of the 11 abducted people, including the brother of a district superintendent of police whose name was withheld. The abduction was condem–ned by politician across party lines.
“Militants and forces victimising each other’s families is highly condemnable and marks a new low in our situation. Families shouldn’t become casualties and made to suffer for something they have little control over,” said former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti.