SRINAGAR: The growing trend of locals disrupting counter-insurgency operations and providing cover to terrorists during encounters is causing alarm among the security establishment in Kashmir.On Tuesday , a Pakistani ter rorist of Lashkar-e-Taiba managed to escape in a similar circumstance even though another one was killed during a gunfight at Hajjin in Bandipora causing heavy causalities to the army. "Terrorist sympathizers came out with lathis (canes), iron rods and threw stones on the security forces. It is really a matter of concern," an intelligence officer said.Similar tactics were employed at Nagbal in Frisal in Kulgam district, south Kashmir on Sunday when residents attacked counter-insurgents so that the terrorists could escape from the hideout.A senior intelligence officer said, youth have been feeling encouraged to disrupt anti-terror operations since the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani in July last year. "Despite declaring curfew in the entire valley, the state administration at the time allowed Wani's funeral procession. People in massive numbers were permitted to congregate in Tral, Wani's native village. This also emboldened separatist leaders to spearhead the five month long agitation," the officer said.The army and various counter-insurgency groups met in December last to chalk out a plan to deal with this problem but it was not allowed to be implemented because of political reasons, an intelligence officer said.Intelligence sources said security forces have been instructed to withdraw from such situations to avoid civilian causalities. "Our forces exercise restraint when civilians attack them in counter-insurgency operations," an officer said.

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