Srinagar: Police on Monday released two brief videos in which army personnel can be heard offering surrender to “trapped militants” inside a house at Hokersar Lawaypora in Srinagar on December 29 last week.
“On 29/12/20 evening after the cordon at #Hokersar, troops are repeatedly #appealing the trapped #terrorists to come out and #surrender with assurances that they will not be harmed.” police said in the tweet.
In the 27-second long video, a drone can be seen hovering around the house while an army man makes offer of surrender: “You are given a chance to surrender. Leave weapons and come out. We assure you that you will not be harmed. Hands up and come out.”
On 29/12/20 evening after the cordon at #Hokersar, troops are repeatedly #appealing the trapped #terrorists to come out and #surrender with assurances that they will not be harmed. @JmuKmrPolice pic.twitter.com/B625zd78yY
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) January 4, 2021
Later, another 26-second long video was released by police and a man is being heard asking the militants: “Do you want to surrender? In case you want to surrender, then remove your cloths and come out in the ground.”
At #Hokersar on 30/12/2020 in the #morning hours, troops are once again #appealing the trapped #terrorists to come out in the ground and #surrender before them. @JmuKmrPolice pic.twitter.com/Bz30kNbZfI
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) January 4, 2021
Three youth, 24 year old Ajaz Maqbool Ganai from Putrigam Pulwama, 22 year old Zubair Ahmad Lone from Turkawangam Shopian and Athar Muhstaq Wani from Bellow Pulwama, were killed on December 31 at Lawaypora Srinagar.
Police have claimed that the trio were militants despite no case registered against them even as families have consistently rejected the claim.
The “encounter” was launched on the inputs of army and eventually fructified into a joint operation of the Army, CRPF and Police, a police spokesman had said.
“After the cordon was laid, militants lobbed grenades from inside and fired upon the search party. As per the SOP, troops repeatedly appealed to the militants to surrender in the evening and again in the morning. However, instead of surrendering, they fired upon the troops and were eventually neutralized in a firefight,” the spokesman had added. (GNS)