Ahead of the 18th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, the entire security grid across Jammu and Kashmir has been kept in a state of high alert to prevent any untoward incident. After the Jammu and Kashmir police busted the inter-State ‘White Collar’ terror module, leading to the arrest of a highly radicalised group of doctors, the security forces remain on their tenterhooks following the deadly blast in Delhi on November 10.
To assess the preparedness of the security forces deployed at ground zero, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha separately chaired a high-level security review meeting in Jammu on Sunday. The meeting assumes significance as key investigators are tirelessly tracking the footprints of all those members of the ‘White Collar’ Terror module who have reportedly gone missing after the recovery of a huge consignment of explosives, arms and ammunition from the Faridabad area of Haryana near Al-Falah University campus.
On Saturday, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) arrested a man from Srinagar who allegedly arranged the weapon that was recovered from a locker of Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather inside GMC, Anantnag. Rather was arrested in Saharanpur on November 6. The arrested person has been identified as Tufail Niyaz Bhat, a resident of the Batamaloo area of Srinagar. “He was arrested as part of the ongoing investigation into the ‘white collar’ terror module case,” an official spokesman of the SIA said.
Meanwhile, during the security review meeting, LG reviewed the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir, along the Line of Control, the preparedness by security forces for the winter, the law-and-order scenario, and the current kinetic and non-kinetic counter-terror operations in the region following the recent terror incidents.
The meeting was attended by DGP Nalin Prabhat, Chief Secretary Atal Dullo, district police chiefs, deputy commissioners of different district headquarters and senior officers of various other agencies. During the meeting, the senior officers shared their current assessment of the prevailing security situation with the Lieutenant Governor.
They also briefed him about various measures adopted to further beef up the security and intensify counter-terror operations during the coming winter months. The district-wise review was conducted and necessary instructions were passed to prevent any untoward incident.
Following the Delhi Car blast, security measures have been heightened with frisking and regular patrolling by various security agencies at vital locations across Jammu and Kashmir.
Security personnel have been deployed at strategic locations along highways, including the Srinagar-Jammu national highway in Pulwama and the Qazigund entry point of the Kashmir valley, to monitor vehicle movement and maintain public order. Police have also intensified inspections of shops and establishments dealing with chemicals, fertilisers, explosives, hardware, and automobile workshops across Jammu and Kashmir.