Srinagar, April 2 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, on Thursday demanded a transparent and time-bound probe into the encounter in Ganderbal district in which reportedly one terrorist was killed.

J&K Chief Minister Abdullah on Thursday called for a transparent and time-bound probe into a recent encounter in Ganderbal, saying the claims made by the family of the deceased should not be dismissed without proper investigation.

“I believe the claim of the family should not be dismissed out of hand. At the very least this encounter needs a transparent and time-bound probe with the facts made public,” the Chief Minister Abdullah said in a post on X.

He added that any delay or lack of clarity in ordering an enquiry could affect public confidence.

“Any attempt to delay the announcement of a probe will only damage credibility and that is not in anyone’s interest,” Chief Minister Abdullah said.

The remarks came after family members of the deceased claimed that the person killed in the encounter was not a militant but a civilian and demanded an independent probe into the incident.

The family has sought a thorough investigation to establish the facts surrounding the killing, maintaining that the victim was a civilian.

The Army’s Srinagar headquartered Chinar Corps had said in its official X handle yesterday, “Based on specific Intelligence input, a joint search operation was launched by #IndianArmy and @JmuKmrPolice in Gen area Arahama of Ganderbal.

“During the search, vigilant troops observed suspicious activity. On being challenged, terrorists opened fire and own troops retaliated. Operation is in progress.”

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles were deployed to locate the terrorists in the area, as additional troops were rushed to ensure that the surviving terrorist/terrorists were unable to escape from the cordoned off area. Adjacent villages of Haripora, Bonzla and Yarmuqam were brought under the operation to strengthen the cordon around Arhama village.

Ganderbal district in North Kashmir has been known to be free of any terrorist presence, and Tuesday’s encounter was a matter of concern for the security forces.

The security forces are under strict instructions to ensure that no civilian life or property is harmed or damaged during anti-terrorist operations in J&K.

Any dereliction of duties regarding these instructions are dealt with very seriously by the Indian Army, J&K Police and the security forces.

–IANS

sq/rad