Separatists brace for showdown with Indian Army

Separatists are bracing up for a major showdown against the Indian Army after they called for a march to highly fortified headquarters of 15 Corps to protest against Pulwama civilian killings on Monday.

Sensing trouble, the Army has issued an advisory urging people to stay away from the march called by the "Pakistan proxies".

"Indian Army strongly condemns this call by Pakistan proxies and advises people not to fall prey to such designs of anti-national forces. Indian Army is always with the people of Kashmir and would foil all such evil attempts of terrorist-separatist-Pakistan nexus to pit the civilian population against security forces. The public is once again advised not to pay heed to this misleading call by JRL (Joint Resistance Leadership of separatists)," said a defence spokesman in Srinagar.

JRL is a conglomerate of Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Moderate Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, who spearheaded the 2016 unrest in Kashmir.

Seven civilians were killed and over 40 were injured after security forces allegedly opened fire on protestors near an encounter site in Sirnoo village of South Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday. Three terrorists, including an army deserter-turned-terrorist, and a soldier were killed in the gun battle.

JRL has asked people to march towards the army headquarters at Badami Bagh on Monday to "tell them to finish us off at once or stop killings and resolve dispute to save human lives".

"Since Government of India is only interested in our territory and forcibly holds on to it while systematically eliminating the people, it is better that they finish us off at once. And that is why leadership has asked them to do that as we march towards their Army headquarters in Badami Bagh on Monday. Or else stop the killings and massacres and resolve the dispute and save human lives," said the separatist trio.

Indian Army however hit back at the JRL saying the objective of the Security Forces (SFs) is to bring peace and normalcy in the valley with the support of people.

"SFs have eliminated a large number of terrorists trying to infiltrate along the line of control and neutralized an even larger number of them in the hinterland this year to improve the overall security situation, making huge sacrifices themselves. These terrorists were involved in many cases of gruesome killings of innocent Kashmiris including civilians, SPOs, Police personnel and other SF personnel on leave", said the defence spokesman.

Security Forces, the spokesman said, are making every attempt to avoid any loss of civilian lives in cross-fire and minimize collateral damage to property. "Loss of any civilian life is always painful for the Security Forces. However, the vested interests are continuously at work to instigate and mobilize gullible youths to encounter sites", he said.

Meanwhile, the authorities have decided to impose curfew like restrictions on the roads leading to Badami Bagh cantonment on Monday.

TO MARCH OR NOT

• The Joint Resistance Leadership has called for a march to the Army headquarters on Monday to protest civilian killings. 
   
• The Army has urged the people to not pay heed to separatists’ call. 
   
• 7 civilians were killed and over 40 were injured on Saturday in a gunfire where 3 terrorists were neutralised.