Srinagar, September 1: Hizbul Mujahideen on Friday released 14 family members of Jammu and Kashmir police including three police personnel kidnapped by terrorists in south Kashmir on Thursday evening. The family members were released just hours after the police released Assadullah Naikoo, father of a Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo on Friday. According to some reports, the relatives of police personnel were released after the state police set free the arrested family members of terrorists including Assadullah.

The police had arrested the relatives of terrorists including Asadullah, after four policemen were killed in a major terror attack on Wednesday. Authorities on Thursday had decided to launch a massive operation in south Kashmir areas to check the alarming trend of the abduction of relatives of police personnel. Terrorists in retaliation kidnapped 11 of their relatives in Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama districts late Thursday evening and three police personnel were also abducted.

The decision was taken to release Assadullah and other relatives of terrorists in the meeting of the top brass police officials of the state to ensure the safety of the abducted family members of police personnel. The Hizbul Commander also issued a warning that terrorists would follow "an eye for an eye policy".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 01, 2018 10:32 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).