Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 6: Even as a group of armed terrorists attempted infiltration along the LoC in Kupwara district of North Kashmir, which was successfully foiled by the Army, the situation in entire Kashmir valley remained peaceful amid unprecedented security cover and curfew like restrictions today when Lok Sabha passed the Bill on abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K State into two Union Territories.
Reports said that a soldier was injured in the initial exchange of firing with the terrorists who were trying to sneak into the Valley from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) through Machhal sector. The group of about half a dozen terrorists had sneaked about 500 metres inside the Indian territory when it was confronted by the alert troops, leading to a gunfight.
While the injured soldier was evacuated to a hospital, a massive search operation was underway. On August 3, the Army had foiled an attack by Pakistan’s Border Action Team (BAT) on a forward post along the LoC in Keran sector of Kupwara, killing at least five to seven intruders.
Meanwhile, the situation in entire Kashmir valley remained peaceful and there was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere in the Valley, which has been put under curfew like restrictions since Sunday evening.
According to Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh, the law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir is totally peaceful and under control with no reports of any untoward incident from any area. Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said that the people who have any emergency or some urgent work were being allowed to move despite strict restriction. The services of Mobile internet, broadband and even landline phones remained suspended for the third consecutive day while the administration operated through the satellite phone provided to the officers.
Former Chief Ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, who were moved to makeshift jails in Guest Houses yesterday after house arrest on Sunday night, were still under detention. People’s Conference leaders Sajjad Lone and Imran Raza Ansari were among over a dozen mainstream leaders who were also arrested yesterday.
Orders of their arrests were issued yesterday by magistrates in view of apprehensions of their activities to cause breach of peace and tranquility in the Kashmir valley.
More than 43000 troops of CRPF have been deployed in major towns of the Valley for ensuring a fool proof security cover and avoiding any attempt of vitiating atmosphere in the wake of Central Government’s move of bifurcating J&K after scrapping its special status as well as the statehood.
There was thick strength of the security personnel around vital installations like Civil Secretariat, Police headquarters, Airport and various Central Government installations in the Srinagar city, which has been put under unprecedented security blanket.
Barricades were erected on many arterial roads, including the entry and exit points to Srinagar city while Rapid Action Force vehicles were also been kept on standby in some areas.
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