 "Militants release three out of 12 abducted relatives of Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel")
Militants in Jammu and Kashmir have released three relatives of policemen they had kidnapped since Thursday, according to media reports. Free Press Kashmir reported that Gowhar Ahmed Malik, the brother of a DSP-rank police officer, was one of the people freed by the militants.
The development came soon after the police released Hizbul operational commander Riyaz Naikoo’s father Assadullah on Friday, two days after they took him into custody in Pulwama district. In total, the militants had abducted at least 12 relatives of policemen.
The militants had carried out the abductions on the day the NIA arrested the son of globally-wanted terrorist Syed Salahuddin.
In a statement released on social media on Friday, Riyaz said that the police had compelled the militants to act against families because the police had arrested a non-combatant relative (Assadullah) of a militant.
Former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah condemned the abductions. While Abdullah said the abduction of kin of policemen was a worrying reflection of the situation in the valley, Mufti said that families of either militants or forces should not be made to suffer.
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
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
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAfter news of the release of some family members broke, Mufti tweeted that she hoped that “good sense prevails and all of them are released soon”. With inputs from agencies
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