Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The Central government has ordered ramping up of security measures in Jammu and Kashmir to avert an October like situation which recorded a spate of targeted killings particularly of civilians and security personnel, top officials said on Tuesday.
The measures include deployment of five new companies comprising around 500 troops of Central Reserve Police Force in the valley, establishment of more bunkers to monitor movement of terrorists, increased frisking and checking of vehicles.
A senior CRPF official said that an odd 15,000 people and 8,000 vehicles are being checked daily.
“It is difficult to control civilian killings but we are taking additional measures to stop such incidents. Visibility of forces, especially at nights has been increased. More surprise checkpoints and flash checkpoints have been set up in past month,” the official said.
The measures follow a three day visit by union home minister Amit Shah to the valley in October which alone recorded 13 civilian killings. The announcement also comes a day after another civilian Mohd Ibrahim Khan was was shot dead by terrorists in Srinagar. At a press briefing on Tuesday, a CRPF spokesperson said that the force has taken additional measures to counter terrorism in the valley after a spate of targeted killings in the past few months.
The spokesperson added that the new deployment is in addition to about 5,000 CAPF troops deployed in October just around Shah’s visit to the union territory.
The security forces and the National Investigation Agency have intensified the search for active militants in the valley, the spokesperson said.
As of November 9, 112 terrorists have been killed this year while the number of terrorists apprehended so far this year is 135, he said.
The spokesperson also spoke about the measures taken by CRPF in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) areas to counter Naxalism.
As many as 486 Maoists have surrendered this year and 603 have been apprehended as of date, the spokesperson said, adding that security forces also neutralied 13 Maoists.
Meanwhile, state BJP president Ravinder Raina on Tuesday said the targeted killing of innocent civilians by terrorists in the valley is a conspiracy of Pakistan to disturb peace in the Union Territory.
He said Pakistan is the biggest enemy of Kashmiri Muslims and Islam.
Condemning the killing of a salesman, Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, at Bohri Kadal locality of downtown Srinagar on Monday evening, Raina said Pakistani cowards have committed another grave sin by shedding the blood of an innocent who was out to earn a livelihood for his family.
“The killing of civilians shows the frustration of Pakistan which is a murderer of Kashmiri Muslims and enemy of Islam. Pakistani terrorists are frustrated by the successful counter-insurgency operations by our police, paramilitary forces and army and have hence resorted to the killings of unarmed civilians under the cover of darkness to disturb the peaceful atmosphere,” Raina said.
He said the Pakistani terrorists have killed thousands of innocents over the past 30 years but “our forces are determined to finish them along with their supporters and sympathisers”.
Raina said even the creator would not forgive them for their misdeeds.
Meanwhile, dozens of activists of the Shiv Sena Dogra Front staged a protest at Rani Park here against the civilian killings in the valley.
The protesters led by their president Ashok Gupta chanted slogans against Pakistan and terrorists and later dispersed peacefully, officials said.
(With PTI Inputs)
