Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha issued a grave warning to the militancy ecosystem on Wednesday, vowing to hunt down its members even if they hid in “pataal”.
Director-general of police Nalin Prabhat repeated Sinha's warning, claiming the days of militant supporters were numbered.
The LG, while addressing a police commemoration gathering to pay tribute to cops who died in the line of duty, said the "valour of our martyrs inspires us to strengthen peace, unity, and security".
“Our goal is to identify and root out terrorism and every element associated with it in Jammu and Kashmir. Today, we must resolve that we will not rest until this land is freed from separatist and terrorist elements," he told the gathering.
"I warn those elements within Jammu and Kashmir who support terrorism that your days are over. Even if you attempt to hide in pataal, we will find you and ensure that you are punished under the law," he added.
Security forces recently killed two top militants — Musa Hashim and Yasir — in back-to-back operations. The police said the duo were involved in several sensational attacks in recent years.
Sinha hailed the sacrifices of "thousands of personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police force who have laid down their lives in the fight against terrorism".
DGP Prabhat said militant supporters had run out of time.
"Our objective is clear: to identify and completely uproot terrorism and every element associated with terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.