J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti: Cops were unaware of Burhan Wani's presence:

J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti yesterday claimed security forces were unaware of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s presence at the scene of the July 8 encounter

Srinagar: J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti yesterday claimed security forces were unaware of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s presence at the scene of the July 8 encounter. “How can one know everything about every encounter?” Mehbooba asked, adding, “As far as I know, what I heard from the police and the army, who said they only knew that there were three militants inside the house but did not know who they were.”

Protesters clash with security forces in downtown Srinagar yesterday. Pic/AFP

The CM told reporters that had the security forces known about Wani’s presence inside the house in Kokernag area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, it would have been possible to keep the situation “from turning to what it is today”. “I feel if they knew, perhaps we would not have such a situation when the overall situation in the state was improving, so it could have been a chance,” she said.

Mehbooba said the government did not get enough time to make arrangements to contain the situation, unlike when Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was hanged in 2013. “When Afzal Guru was hanged, [then CM] Omar Abdullah knew, so he made all arrangements beforehand. We knew nothing. We came to know suddenly. But, despite that, we tried to impose curfew so that children do not come out,” the J&K CM said.

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