Sticky bombs serious security threat in Kashmir: IGP

Security of Yatra reviewed in Anantnag

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 20: Inspector General of Police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, today said that sticky bombs are a serious security threat and militants in Kashmir reportedly possess them.
The IGP told Excelsior after security review meeting on Amarnath Yatra in Anantnag today that militants reportedly possess sticky bombs and it is a serious security threat.
“It is a serious threat specially when tourists, pilgrims, security forces vehicles are stuck in traffic congestion, militants or any miscreant may fix this bomb on the vehicle,” he said.
Kumar said that different types of threats specially threat of drone attack and sticky bombs to Yatra convoy and security forces were discussed during the review meeting. He said that appropriate security responses to these threats were discussed in detail.
Sticky bombs, which can be attached to vehicles and detonated remotely, arrived in Kashmir in 2020 as security forces seized them in various raids including over a dozen of them in February last year in Jammu region.
These are small IEDs and quite powerful and have serious impact on the present security scenario as volume and frequency of vehicular movements of police and security forces, tourists and Amarnath pilgrims is very high.
An official said that the sticky bombs have come via drone drops and tunnels along the IB in Jammu region.
He said that security forces are changing protocols to deal with the sticky bomb threat. The measures included increasing the distance between private and military traffic, installing more cameras on vehicles and using drones to monitor convoys.
These were being used Afghanistan against security forces, judges, government officials, civil society activists and journalists.
The IGP said that in the meeting more focus was given on generating specific intelligence and conducting anti militancy operations on all yatra routes so as to make it secure.
The SSP Anantnag presented a detailed power point presentation about the preparations made for the security of the Yatra route and possible threats and measures to be taken to deal with them effectively.
The meeting that was chaired by the IGP was in Anantnag was attended by DIG South Kashmir Range Abdul Jabbar, SSP Anantnag, Kulgam and Awantipora.