Srinagar: In an unprecedented development, at least 11 persons – all close relatives of J&K policemen – were abducted by militants on late Thursday night from different parts of south Kashmir.
The spree of revenge-kidnappings has sent both security agencies and the government into a tizzy at a time when rebels, who have faced major jolts in anti-militancy operations in the past two years, are trying to regroup. The timing of “raids” by rebels is worrying for the government which has already announced the schedule for holding panchayat polls in the state, due since 2016.
The first ‘raid’
The abductions began on Wednesday when gunmen broke into the house of a serving policeman Rafiq Ahmad Rather of Pinglish in volatile Tral and took away his son Asif Rafiq.
Rafiq is pursuing a masters in sericulture in the Valley’s agriculture university. His father, who is posted in Srinagar, was on duty when the militants raided his house. On Thursday, Rafiq’s mother Hameeda Begum appeared in a video pleading with her son’s abductors to release him. “You too are my sons. If my son is on the wrong path, show him the right path but kindly release him,” Hameeda can be heard making an emotional appeal with folded hands, surrounded by relatives. “Have mercy upon him and set him [Asif] free for Allah’s sake. I request you to kindly set him free.”
Rafiq’s colleagues at the university made a passionate appeal to militants to release their batchmate while vouching for his philanthropic nature.
Spate of kidnappings follows
The J&K police had only just launched a manhunt to trace Rafiq when news broke out late on Thursday night that three more relatives of policemen from different areas of south Kashmir had been abducted by rebels in Shopian. The number kept rising with every passing hour and by early next morning, the number of abducted persons had risen to 11.
All of those kidnapped are either sons or close relatives of policemen including two deputy superintendent level officials. One of the kidnapped youth is the son of a cook working at police training school Awantipora.
The disappearance forced security agencies to call an emergency meeting on Friday morning to tackle the never-before like situation. A high alert has already been issued across Kashmir as joint forces of J&K police, army and paramilitary forces have launched search operations to trace abducted persons.
While one of the abducted persons was released on Friday afternoon, at least ten others are still being held captive by the militants who have shown the ability to strike at will in south Kashmir which has remained on boil ever since killing of top Hizb militant Burhan Wani in July 2016.
“Some incidents of abduction have come to notice in south Kashmir. We are ascertaining details and circumstances. It is a disturbing situation, but we are hopeful to get these boys back. That is our first priority,” said a senior police official.
Former chief minister Omar Abdullah termed the abductions as a worrying reflection of the situation in J&K which is presently under governor’s rule following breaking of the PDP-BJP government on June 19 this year. “11 abductions! This is a very worrying reflection of the situation in the valley,” tweeted Omar.
He took a dig at the separatist camp for “being silent” on the issue. “What’s worse is the selective outrage – people/leaders who are so vocal about alleged security force excesses are silent about these abductions,” he tweeted.
11 abductions! This is a very worrying reflection of the situation in the valley. What’s worse is the selective outrage – people/leaders who are so vocal about alleged security force excesses are silent about these abductions. https://t.co/8ucs3PWpJc
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) August 31, 2018
Rising police-militant conflict
Since 2017, south Kashmir has seen many instances of militants attacking the houses of policemen, threatening them to resign. In video messages circulated on social media, militants had termed the move as “revenge against alleged harassment of their families and ransacking of their houses”. This year, however, militants abducted and killed at least eight policemen and army personnel from different parts of south Kashmir.
The latest escalation was triggered after forces killed two militants including one of the longest surviving rebels, Altaf Ahmad Dar, known by his nom de guerre Altaf Kachroo, in Anantnag on August 29. Barely a few hours later, militants struck in Shopian, killing four policemen in a surprise attack on patrol party.
The next day, the army allegedly set ablaze houses of two militants, Shahjahan, Jaish-e-Mohammad district commander and Hizb commander Syed Naveed in Shopian. The same day, the police picked up father of Hizbul Mujahedeen operational chief Riyaz Naikoo and detained son of UJC chief Syed Salh-ud-Din for his alleged involvement in funding of militancy case.
During the past week, local newspapers have been reporting about protests in different areas of Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian districts over alleged harassment of militant’s families. Amid these reports, wanted Lashkar-e-Tayyaba militant in Kashmir Naveed Jutt warned J&K police that “these actions will have consequences”.
Similarly, in an audio recording released on August 28 on social media, Naikoo cautioned security agencies against harassment of rebels’ families. “The continuous harassment of militants’ families by government forces is a sign of frustration but it is not going to deter us from carrying on our mission,” he says in 11-minute video.
A warning note in Urdu by Naikoo asked J&K policemen to resign or be ready to “face consequences”. “If any policeman loves his life, he must resign or get ready to die. This [the abductions] is just a trailer to show them what we are capable of doing. We can also turn lives of your families into hell…,” reads the note, tweeted by Naikoo. However, authenticity of the note could not be verified.
Late on Friday evening, another audio recording of the top Hizb commander appeared on social media in which Naikoo owned responsibility of kidnapping the police’s relatives. “We have been repeatedly cautioning J&K police not to involve our families. We were compelled by police to take this step,” Naikoo says.
Commenting on the situation, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti condemned victimisation of families on both sides of the divide. “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,” Mufti tweeted.
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.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 31, 2018
A senior journalist based in south Kashmir said for “a long time” the forces operating in the region were facing allegations about carrying raids at houses of militants, detaining their family members and ransacking properties. “This is a war between two sides. If you involve militants’ families in this war, you are making it ugly,” he said. “It is now becoming tit-for-tat.”