As militancy is on the rise in the last few months in the Valley, a lot of civilian killings were witnessed in different parts of Kashmir including the capital Srinagar.
In a recent attack, on Monday evening, a civilian named Mohd Ibrahim Khan was shot by terrorists outside a shop in the Bohri Kadal area in downtown Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. This was the second such attack on a civilian in the city this week after constable Tawseef Ahmad Wani, 29, was killed in Srinagar’s Batamaloo region on Sunday.
The security forces along with the Jammu and Kashmir police have taken measures to beef up the security in the region to avoid further attacks.
Additionaly, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is sending five additional companies to J&K in wake of recent civilian killings in the Union Territory. These companies will be deployed there within a week. The force earlier sent 25 companies in J&K, CRPF said in a statement.
Bunkers are being set up to keep a close eye on the movements of terrorists in the regions while the security forces and the National Investigation Agency have been conducting raids all across Jammu and Kashmir in which they have also caught and neutralized some high-level militants including LeT commanders.
“To ensure that October-like situation is not repeated, security agencies have taken a slew of additional measures. Random checking of vehicles and frisking of people was being done as part of the security drill. Policemen in civies have been deployed in nook and corner of the city to gather the intelligence and monitor the movement of suspects,” Deccan Herald Quoted a senior police officer saying.
“In most parts of the city, CCTV surveillance has been updated and movement of the public is monitored,” the officer added.
Meanwhile, the Centre had ordered the deployment of an additional 5,000 troops of the central paramilitary forces in the Union Territory. Of the 5000 additional troops, 3000 were reportedly deployed in Srinagar alone where militant activities are on rising since the beginning of this year.
In the last one month, civilian killings have increased in the Valley.
In the brutal killings that plagued Kashmir last month, a majority of the migrants who were targeted were from Bihar and minority communities. In multiple counter-attacks carried out in the Valley by security forces, at least 13 terrorists have been shot dead, including a top LeT commander.
Besides LeT, the United Liberations Front (ULF) had claimed responsibility for the attacks on three of the 11 civilians on October 17.
A high-level security meet was held by Union home minister Amit Shah during his three-day visit to the union territory in October.
(with inputs from sourcse)
