Situation normal after Kokernag encounter: J&K DGP Dilbag Singh

Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh on Tuesday said the week-long Kokernag encounter has not changed the peaceful atmosphere in the valley and militancy is at its lowest in Kashmir.

Militants had the advantage of firing first in the encounter in Anantnag district earlier this month in which a colonel, a major and a soldier from Army, a DySP of J&K Police, and Lashkar-e-Taiba militant Uzair Khan were killed, Singh told reporters in the Katra area of Jammu.

"We had a specific input of the presence of a militant in Kokernag, following which the forces went there. Unfortunately, sometimes when you reach the spot, the enemy is already waiting," he said. "The case is, who fires first has the advantage, and in this case, terrorists fired first, and our brave soldiers had to face the bullets, because of which colonel sahib, major sahib, DySP sahib and a soldier were martyred."


Singh said some people have a misconception that one incident can change things on the ground. "...the situation was normal before the Kokernag incident and it is normal even after that," he said.

"I know, it is the handiwork of some vested interests to blow the Kokernag encounter out of proportion," Dilbag Singh said.