Srinagar, July 9: A few days after militants killed a soldier and two policemen in separate attacks in south Kashmir, forces on Sunday revived the practice of roadside frisking of commuters and crackdowns-reminiscent of the early nineties when militancy was at its peak in the Kashmir valley.
Force personnel have set up barricades at many places on Srinagar-Jammu highway while frisking and nocturnal raids in major districts of south Kashmir, including Pulwama, Islamabad (Anantnag), Kulgam and Shopian, have been intensified. Police claim that stern measures are being put in place to “prevent militants from striking at their will.”

SRINAGAR-JAMMU HIGHWAY
The vehicle frisking by the police, Army and paramilitary CRPF at many places on Srinagar–Jammu highway led to chaos as the traffic got halted for hours together Sunday evening and Monday morning. Force personnel were checking each and every vehicle.
The first frisking post has been set up at Pantha Chowk and from this point up to Khannabal the vehicles, particularly the light ones are frisked at five places.  “The passengers are asked to get down and ordered to go by foot,” said Nazir Ahmad, an  employee of the Horticulture department. “The situation is no different from 90’s,” he added.
Sources in traffic wing of J&K police said that some of the senior officers Monday morning regulated the traffic on highway, however the frisking continued. A report said that policemen were inquiring about the documents of bikes and other light vehicles on the highway.

PULWAMA
Residents of Pulwama district said that joint contingents of Army and Police were carrying out the frisking of vehicles near Government Degree College for whole day Sunday. The frisking operation, according to them, continued till Monday morning at many places in Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Islamabad (Anantnag).
“It was like year 1992-1993, every vehicle was being frisked by police and Army near Degree college Pulwama. Forces were asking for identity card and purpose of move,” said Javid Ahmad, an employee of the State Finance Department.
They said that joint columns of Police, Army and CRPF were seen at every road junctions of Pulwama. Unprecedented frisking caused lot of inconvenience to commuters.

SRINAGAR
Security across the Srinagar was intensified on Monday and frisking remained order of day at most places in city. The vehicles entering in Srinagar were frisked thoroughly at entrance and exit points of the city.
Police and CRPF men armed in full battle gear were seen patrolling the streets.
At Rambagh, Airport Road, Sher-e-Kashmir Park, Lal Chowk, Hari Singh High Street, Budshah Chowk, Maisuma, Ganta Ghar, and other parts of the city, force personnel  on Monday carried out day-long searches and subjected the pedestrians to frisking.
Private and public vehicles were also thoroughly checked by the police at various places. Policemen were also checking the documents of bikes and light vehicles.
Sources said that the movement of people is also monitored through the close circuit cameras that are installed at various places in the city. "In scorching heat, cops were frisking pedestrians at Airport road. They were demanding identity cards from the people, mainly youth and thoroughly checked their belongings," Muhammad Sarwar, a city resident told Greater Kashmir.
Irshad Beig, a trader said, that police and CRPF men carried out searches intermittently throughout the day. “Motorcyclists and those traveling in auto rickshaw were more under scanner," he said.
The police and CRPF men were frisking vehicles entering into Srinagar at Parimpora, Bemina, Panthachowk, Soura and Zakura on city outskirts.

BARAMULLA
In north Kashmir’s Baramulla town, the frisking was being carried out Kanespora, and Tapper Pattan. The people were ordered to get down from the vehicles and prove their identity.
In Kupwara, Sopore, Bandipora and Handwara Police, Army and CRPF men were seen carrying out frisking at many places.

POLICE SPEAK
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) south Kashmir, Vijay Kumar admitted that frisking was being carried out in south Kashmir. “We have beefed up the security to thwart any Pampore like attack,” he said and added that every measure is being taken to secure the area. “We do not want to give them (militants) any chance and everybody is on tenterhooks,” he said.
“After the Pampore attack, efforts are being made to foil any such attack in near future. That is why the security across the Valley has been beefed up,” a senior police officer in Srinagar told Greater Kashmir. “We do not have any specific information about the militant presence, but the situation is being monitored.”

8 MILITANTS ACTIVE IN PULWAMA
Meanwhile, according to police at least eight militants are active in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, highly placed sources told Greater Kashmir on Monday.
They said four militants are affiliated with Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), two are with Lashkar-e-Toiba and two are from Hizbul Mujahideen. “All of them are locals,” a top police officer said. “They are always on move and we are tracking them.”
He said that in past six months one boy has got recruited in the militant ranks while one former militant has got recycled.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 9 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 9 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST