Security tightened, searches intensified after civilian killings in Srinagar

Amid fresh killings of a civilian and an unarmed policeman by militants in Srinagar, a slew of additional measures is being taken by security agencies to avoid any further attacks.

Militants shot dead a policeman from point-blank range on Sunday evening in congested Batamaloo area before killing a salesman working for a Kashmiri pandit businessman Roshan Lal Mawa, who had established his business in 2018 in the old city area of Srinagar.

The latest killings came barely three weeks after the militants shot dead 11 civilians, including members of the minority community and migrant workers, from October 2 to October 17 in separate incidents.

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“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 civvies have been deployed in nook and corner of the city to gather the intelligence and monitor the movement of suspects,” a senior police officer told DH.

While asserting that the hunt was on to nab the assailants of the latest killings he said that in volatile areas of the city some more bunkers will be established and wherever necessary, makeshift bunkers can come up.

“In most parts of the city, CCTV surveillance has been updated and movement of the public is monitored,” the officer said and added that off duty police personnel have also been advised to adhere to the advisory so that attacks on them are prevented

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Most of the policemen who were killed by the militants this year were unarmed and off-duty.

In the backdrop of October killings and after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s J&K visit, 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.

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