Youth told to keep off encounter areas

Following Army chief General Bipin Rawat’s warning of tough action against stone-pelters in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), the state government yesterday issued an advisory asking people to stay away from encounter sites.

District administrations in Srinagar, Budgam and Shopian have advised people not to assemble near places where encounters take place between security forces and militants to avoid injury and loss of lives.

“Whenever an encounter takes place between militants and security forces, people of the locality march to the site and engage the forces with stone-pelting. Prohibitory restrictions have been imposed within a radius of three kilometres from the site of any counter-insurgency operation in the districts. This way, injuries or loss of precious human lives can be avoided,” the advisory read.

However, the restrictions shall not apply to the movement of ambulances, medical and paramedical staff and government employees.

The move is meant to prevent assembly of mobs who provide cover to militants and hamper countermilitancy operations. Police has also been asked to impose Section 144 against unlawful assemblies in areas when an encounter is on.

While parties such as BJP and Congress supported General Rawat, the National Conference (NC) objected to the “strong words.”