Kashmir

No threat to Amarnath Yatra, but sticky bombs a new challenge: DGP Dilbag Singh

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh said on Friday that there was no specific threat to the upcoming Amarnath yatra but added that sticky bombs (bombs with magnets that can be attached to vehicles) were a new challenge to deal with.

This year the Jammu and Kashmir government has been making arrangements for six lakh pilgrims to the cave shrine nestled in the South Kashmir Himalayas at a height of 13,000 feet.

The 56-day pilgrimage will commence from June 28 and end on August 22.

Thousands of pilgrims either trek the traditional and longer 45km-long Pahalgam route in Anantnag district or the shorter 14km-long Baltal route in Ganderbal district to the shrine every year.

Like every year, the yatra arrangements are being done. There is a set drill and we know what kind of security is required on the highways, camps, community kitchens and on the twin tracks of Pahalgam and Baltal. The arrangements are being done on the same pattern,” the DGP told reporters at the police training school in Sunjuwan here.
He said that all the requisite security arrangements will be put in place

“There are no specific threats to the yatra but sticky bombs are indeed a new challenge. It was not there earlier but forces inimical to India including the neighbouring country are always

hell bent upon creating disturbance. It is a new thing. It is a small IED with a magnet, which can be easily planted in vehicles and metals. It is a threat but we have our security drills and will take care of them,” he said.

Dilbagh Singh’s statement comes a day after CRPF’s Inspector General (Jammu zone) PS Ranipse said that all CRPF units and formations have been briefed about the threat posed by sticky bombs.

On the government’s efforts to wean away the youth from terrorism and bring them back to the mainstream, Singh said, “Such efforts are on for the past few years and in 2020 at least three dozen such youth shunned the path of violence on the request of their parents. They are now living a peaceful life.”

The DGP said that the process was still on.
“Our endeavour is that youth should be weaned away from it and they should be stopped from going astray. After shunning the path of violence they also realize it (futility of gun) and express gratitude to the security forces for saving their lives and bringing them back to the mainstream,” he said.

And, now even during the encounters we give opportunity to the terrorists to surrender. At least a dozen such terrorists surrendered during the encounters last year and we will continue this process,” he added.

On anti-insurgency operations, he said that the security forces achieved big successes in Kashmir this year.

In north Kashmir a top commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Gani Khawaja was killed and similarly Jaish commander Sajjad Afghanhi was killed in Shopian.

Then two top commanders of Lashkar-e-Mustafa and the TRF-Hidyatullah Malik and Zahoor Ahmad Rather were captured alive in Jammu,” he said.

The police chief said that security forces have killed 12 militants so far this year and three dozen others belonging to various modules were arrested. (AGENCY)

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