1990s like surprise CASO returns to Srinagar
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Feb 22: Security forces today averted a major tragedy when they detected and defused an improvised explosive device (IED) near the Railway Station in Nowgam area of Srinagar.
Click here to watch video
A police official said that the IED was planted a few hundred meters away from the Nowgam Railway station near a bridge. The IED was spotted on a day when rail services between Banihal to Baramulla resumed after a gap of 11 months.
The IED was spotted by the Road Opening Party of the CRPF and the police after which Bomb Disposal Squad was called in. “The IED was fitted in a tin box. It took BDS almost an hour to diffuse the IED,” a police official said.
He added that traffic was stopped for nearly an hour on Pantha Chowk-Nowgam road as a precautionary measure. A security official said that the IED was about 1.5 to 2 Kgs and could have resulted in a huge damage if it wasn’t defused on time.
IGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said that the IED was successfully defused and traffic was restored on the road.
In the meantime, security forces have tightened security in and around Srinagar city to prevent militants from carrying out strikes here. The security has been tightened after back to back attacks in Srinagar by militants.
Police and paramilitary security forces carried surprise Cordon-and-search-operations (CASO) in Lal Chowk and adjoining area as part of a new strategy to prevent attacks in Srinagar.
The surprise checks were carried at Hari Singh High Street and areas adjoining it including Amira Kadal. People especially youth were queued up and then frisked by the police.
The people queued for frisking presented 1990s look when such crackdowns were order of the day in Kashmir with people queued up on roads and market places.
Security has been beefed up in several areas of Srinagar and more security personnel have been deployed in Lal Chowk, Jehangir Chowk, Hari Singh High Street, Regal Chowk, TRC Chowk, Polo View and other areas.
The IGP Kashmir last week chaired a security review meeting at Police Control Room in Srinagar and a strategy was devised to prevent attacks in Srinagar.
Kumar had instructed officers to enhance surveillance and conduct anti-militancy operations in their areas and take all proactive steps for maintaining peace and stability in the city.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
