Security forces set up fresh bunkers in Srinagar

Amid reports of frequent militant movement, security forces have set up dozens of fresh bunkers across sensitive areas of Srinagar city in the recent weeks.

The new bunkers have come up at Jehangir Chowk, on MA road outside SP College, Tourist Reception Center and several other places as a security measure. Besides there are mobile bunkers stationed at dozens of places across the city.

“There are intelligence reports that militants might carry a fidayeen (suicide) attack in the city. Also there are inputs that militants might carry out grenade attacks for which Chinese-made grenades have already been distributed among the cadre and over-ground workers (OGWs),” sources told DH.

To thwart any attacks, they said, security forces have not only set up new bunkers, but also established barricades across Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir to prevent militant movement. The vehicles are being thoroughly checked and people frisked at many places in the outskirts of Srinagar city.

“There are inputs that militants are making frequent movement across Kashmir valley as security forces are deployed for law and order duty which has taken some focus out of anti-militancy operations,” sources added.

Some local youth have also joined militancy in the last two months besides as per Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) some 40 militants have infiltrated from Pakistan into Kashmir this year. However, ground reports suggest the number of infiltrated militants was double of the MAC figures.

The bunkers from the Srinagar city were removed after PDP founder late Mufti Mohammad Syed was elected as chief minister of the State in November 2002. As the militancy went down, the decision to reduce the footprints of the security forces on the ground was taken by Mufti which brought relief to the people.

The new bunkers remind people of city of 1990s when the bunkers dotted the landscape of Srinagar and other major towns of the Valley.