SRINAGAR: The train service has been suspended in the Kashmir valley for security reasons following strike called by separatists against the killing of a civilian and injuries to several others in alleged security force firing in Pulwama, where two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, including most-wanted Abu Dujana, were killed in an encounter yesterday.
All train runs between Srinagar and Banihal in Jammu region via South Kashmir remained suspended for the fourth day today for security reasons, a senior railway official said this morning.
During the past three days, the train service in south Kashmir remained suspended for security reasons after the killing of two Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) local militants in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district July 30.
He said all trains running on Srinagar -Pulwama, Anantnag and Qazigund in south Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region remained suspended.
”We were planning to run the train service from Srinagar to Banihal yesterday, but a fresh advisory was received to suspend all train runs following fresh encounter in Pulwama ,”he said.
The official said that today all trains between Srinagar-Badgam in central Kashmir to Baramulla in north Kashmir have been suspended for security reasons.
The decision to suspend the train service was taken on the advice of local authorities and police in view of apprehension of violence . Both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC) and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), spearheading the agitation, have called for a general strike today against the death of a civilian and injuries to several others in security force firing and using pellters to disperse demonstrators at Pulwama.
In the past, railway property has suffered massive damage during protests in the valley, where the train services remained suspended for about six months during summer unrest last year.
However, people shuttling daily between north to south via Srinagar or vice versa prefer train service which is being considered most dependable, cheap and safe mode of transport in the Kashmir valley, where frequent traffic jam is a daily routine. *(AGENCIES)
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