Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 4: Special Director General (DG) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), S N Srivastava today said that militant activities have increased in Kashmir but assured that the security forces will ensure best possible arrangements for the upcoming Lok Sabha by-polls.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the wreath laying ceremony held for the CRPF man killed in yesterday’s attack, Srivastava said: “An increase in militant activities was always expected. We already knew that such a thing will happen”.
The CRPF DG said that security forces are ready for any challenge. “We are always ready for the challenge and will ensure that security arrangements for elections are as good as possible. We knew that militants would attack as Parliamentary elections are round the corner,” he said.
Srivastava said the security forces are trying their best to stop militant attacks on the convoys. “We are trying our best to stop attacks on convoys. The security forces deploy Road Opening Parties (ROPs) and follow all rules and guidelines including Standard Operating Procedures. The movement of convoys takes place every day and it is due to these security forces that we are able to safeguard the movement of jawans,” he said.
The CRPF DG said the security forces have been successful to a great extent in stopping militant activities in the Valley. “Our officers and jawans are alert. Senior officers and jawans are at their duty points and we are doing whatever best we can,” he said.
Asked whether the CRPF, which deals with law and order problems and is also part of counter-insurgency operations in the Valley, was facing a tough job, the Special DG said the job is difficult but the force is up for it. “We are and we have done some good work in such kind of situations and will continue doing so,” he said.
In the meantime, a day after live grenades and ammunition rounds were recovered from an Army jawan at Srinagar Airport, security forces today recovered a live ammunition round from the luggage of an Army man who was about to board a plane. He was detained at the airport and was not allowed to board the plane but was later handed over to his Army unit.
A police official said that one INSAS rifle ammunition round was recovered from an Army man during x-ray scanning at Srinagar Airport as he was about to board an Indigo flight to New Delhi.
The Army man has been identified as Pandiya Raj of 319 Field Hospital of Army Medical Core (AMC) and is deployed in Pattan area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
