Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) R.R. Swain said on Saturday that foreign terrorists were receiving support from “our territory”, acknowledging the security concerns in the region.
“There are foreign fighters who receive some support from our territory,” Swain said during his year-end press conference in Jammu.
“However, the number of those supporting foreign terrorists is very limited.”
The DGP noted that these foreign terrorists hide in houses, caves, jungles, and wilderness, leading to a limited flow of information.
Regarding the counter-strategy, he said the details couldn’t be disclosed to the media.
“We have discussed the issue and strategy at the highest level, and we will effectively deal with it,” Swain said.
The top police officer’s remarks came a week after a terrorist attack at Thanamandi in Poonch’s Dera Ki Gali that had left four soldiers dead and two others injured.
After the incident, several civilians were rounded up for questioning, and three of them reportedly died in Army custody, sparking public outrage.
Army Chief General Manoj Pande and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the area on Wednesday to pacify the situation.
Singh also visited the hospital to meet the allegedly tortured civilians and the families of the three deceased men, assuring them that justice would be delivered.
Swain, while responding to PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s claim that she was not allowed to meet the families of the slain civilians in Poonch, said that the police's role is to ensure that such visits are not exploited.
When asked if the Rajouri-Poonch region was returning to its state between 1997 and 2003, the J&K police chief said the police are vigilant and recognise the gap between the past and present situations.
“We will bridge this gap,” he stressed.
