Amit Shah reviews J&K security; calls high-level meeting on June 16

New Delhi, Jun 14 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of several terror incidents there, including an attack on a bus ferrying pilgrims, sources said.

He called a high-level meeting on June 16, to be attended by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, top officials of the Army, CRPF and others to review the prevailing situation in the Union Territory and steps taken to check terror incidents.

During Sunday's meeting, the home minister will also take stock of the preparedness for the annual Amarnath Yatra which will begin on June 29, sources said.

The home minister was briefed about the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the steps taken following the terror incidents, they said.

Terrorists struck at four places in Reasi, Kathua and Doda districts of Jammu and Kashmir over the past four days, killing nine pilgrims and a CRPF jawan, and leaving seven security personnel and several others injured.

Two suspected Pakistani terrorists were also killed in an encounter with security forces in Kathua district and a large quantity of arms and ammunition were recovered from them.

On Sunday, terrorists opened fire on a 53-seater bus carrying pilgrims when it was en route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra from the Shiv Khori temple. The bus, carrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, plunged into a deep gorge following the gunfire, killing nine people and injuring 41 others.

On Tuesday, terrorists fired at a joint checkpost of the Rashtriya Rifles and police at Chattergalla in Bhaderwah while a search party in the Gandoh area of Doda district was attacked on Wednesday, resulting in injuries to seven security personnel, including a police personnel.

The search operation launched in Jammu and Kashmir to track down and neutralise terrorists after the June 9 attack on a bus carrying pilgrims continues, officials said.

Officials said security forces launched a fresh search and cordon operation in Kathua's Saida Sukhal village on Thursday following information about the presence of two more terrorists. This came a day after two suspected Pakistani terrorists and a CRPF jawan were killed in the village after an over 15-hour operation.

A large quantity of arms and ammunition, including one M4 Rifle, an AK assault rifle, a satellite phone and more than Rs 2.10 lakh besides Pakistan-made eatables, medicines and electronics were recovered from the possession of the slain terrorists, one of whom was said to be a top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit.

Police had on Wednesday released sketches of four terrorists involved in two attacks in Doda district and announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh for information leading to their arrest.

In Reasi district where terrorists had attacked a bus carrying pilgrims on Sunday, police said so far 50 suspected persons were detained as the search operation was intensified to remote pockets.

Police had also issued an advisory, urging residents of the Jammu region to stay vigilant regarding the movement of suspicious individuals and objects.

The advisory was issued following intelligence inputs suggesting the possibility of a terror threat in parts of Rajouri and Jammu districts.

Meanwhile, police in Jammu and Kashmir have started preparation for the two-month-long Amarnath yatra.

Additional Director General of Police Vijay Kumar last week directed the security forces to fortify the existing security infrastructure, improve surveillance tactics and bolster personnel deployment along the Amarnath pilgrimage route.

He also directed officials to mitigate potential risks by deploying anti-sabotage teams along the Yatra routes to identify and neutralise any potential terror threats.

Kumar also held a joint meeting with the officers of the police, Army, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and other agencies and discussed the overall security arrangements to be adopted for the safe, smooth and incident-free conduct of the pilgrimage.

Services of specialised forces like the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) may also be utilised in order to get vulnerable points along the pilgrimage route mapped so that these can be monitored on a regular basis to enhance the overall safety measures, officials said.

Security will be enhanced to mitigate potential risks by deploying anti-sabotage teams along the Amarnath Yatra route to identify and neutralise any potential terror threats, they said. PTI