The militant trio holding five civilians as hostage in a Kulgam mosque are demanding safe passage, which the police turned down on Monday insisting that they surrender.
SRINAGAR: Two of the five people held hostage by militants holed up in a mosque at Palnu village in Kulgam district of south Kashmir since Sunday escaped to safety on Monday.
Three heavily-armed militants took refuge in the mosque while being chased by the security forces on Sunday morning. They also held a few people hostage. The forces, who had been tipped off by the 62 Rashtriya Rifles with specific information, then laid a siege to the mosque and a gun battle ensued, in which an Army jawan and a civilian were injured.
To avoid further bloodshed, the forces began negotiations. Although they have not been able to make much headway, there has been no further exchange of fire since Sunday afternoon. Nevertheless both sides are holding their positions.
Meanwhile, the militants turned down a police request to send food for the hostages. They, instead, wanted it to be left at the mosque’s entrance. The hostages who fled had been assigned to pick up the food.
“Two hostages came out of the mosque, three are still being held by the ultras,” said SM Sahai, inspector general of police (Kashmir range).
“We have roped in civilians to persuade the ultras to release the remaining hostages. They are making fervent appeals to the militants,” said Hemant Kumar Lohia, deputy inspector general of police (south Kashmir range), who is leading the operation.
The crisis has cast a pall of gloom on the village, with several residents fleeing to neighbouring villages.
“Innocent people have been taken hostage by the ultras. We are very much concerned about their wellbeing,” said Abdul Rasheed, a resident of Palnu village.
Nearly 40 families have fled to a nearby village since the crisis broke out. “We had arranged for their stay, but they preferred to stay with the villagers in the Bihibag area,” said Lateef-uz-Zaman Dewa, deputy commissioner of Kulgam.
h_ishfaq@dnaindia.net
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