SRINAGAR, AUGUST 11: With Jammu and Kashmir set to celebrate its 80th Independence Day on August 15, security forces have put in place a multi-layered security blanket across the Valley and the Jammu region, stepping up surveillance along the borders and in the hinterland to thwart any possible terror strike.
Official sources told Kashmir Convener the Army and the Border Security Force have intensified surveillance along the 225-km Line of Control and the 192-km International Border. Aerial reconnaissance and ground domination exercises have also been increased. The heightened security drill follows specific intelligence inputs suggesting that terror outfits may attempt attacks ahead of the national day.
The alert comes against the backdrop of a fresh threat note targeting Kashmiri Pandits and a series of targeted killings in July, including the murder of a policeman and two non-local labourers.
On June 22, terrorists fired at policeman Ashiq Hussain Qureshi in Anantnag town while he was on Amarnath Yatra duty. On July 31, two migrant workers from Chhattisgarh were shot dead at a brick kiln in Kulgam’s Kelam area. One died on the spot; the other succumbed to injuries the next morning at a Srinagar hospital.
In the Jammu region, police have deployed additional Quick Response Teams in the city. Checking and patrolling have been stepped up across all districts. Border roads are being kept under strict vigil.
A security advisory has been issued in Rajouri and Poonch, urging residents to cooperate with security forces and report any suspicious activity or object immediately. Security on the strategic Jammu-Srinagar National Highway has also been strengthened, with drones pressed into service for aerial surveillance.
In Samba, the Special Operations Group conducted long-range patrolling and an anti-terror mock drill along the Jammu-Pathankot highway on Tuesday to test operational preparedness.
In the Valley, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, V.K. Birdi said security arrangements have been made not just at the main venues but across all districts.
“Not only in the city but every area of the Valley has been sanitised and security has been beefed up,” Birdi told reporters in Srinagar.
Search operations are underway in Lal Chowk and other parts of the city. Police and SOG personnel are conducting checks at markets, hotels and shopping complexes. Hotel records and guest registers are being scrutinised to identify any suspicious movement, officials said.
“There are multi-layered security arrangements in Srinagar. Not only at the venues, but around the city as well. The arrangements will be the same this time as well,” Birdi said.
Preparations for the main function at Bakshi Stadium, including full-dress rehearsals, are in full swing, he added.
Birdi appealed to people to participate in large numbers, asserting that the event belongs to the public.
“This is the function of the public. The police work as an organiser. We tell people to participate in large numbers,” he said.
When asked about the investigation into recent terror attacks in south Kashmir, Birdi declined to comment.
“It is a matter of investigation. I don’t think it is appropriate to reveal it now. We will share whatever is required at the right time,” he said.
Minority employees working in Kashmir have been directed to work from home following two back-to-back attacks and an online threat naming Kashmiri Pandits.
“We have been told to work from home till August 25,” a PM Package Kashmiri Pandit employee said.
The Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS) said the recent attacks and fresh threat posters have once again exposed the vulnerability of KPs in the Valley. The group questioned how personal details of six employees, including their phone numbers, became public.
“Was it a security lapse, a confidentiality breach or a deliberate leak?” the KPSS asked. “Fix the loopholes. Protect the vulnerable—before history repeats itself,” the group posted on X.
Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will preside over the main Independence Day function at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, where he will unfurl the tricolour and take the salute. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary will lead the event at Maulana Azad Stadium in Jammu.
Across the Union Territory, cultural programmes and Har Ghar Tiranga campaigns are being organised in schools, colleges and government offices, with the spirit of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav visible among the people.
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