Group formed to suggest highway security upgrade: DGP

Jammu and Kashmir police chief Dilbag Singh Tuesday said a study group has been set up to suggest measures to strengthen security along the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar highway, following the Pulwama militant attack.

Singh said two suicide attacks were foiled by police withkilling of two Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants after the February 14 attack inwhich 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

   

“We have constituted a study group which will be surveyingthe highway within next two days and suggest measures for further strengtheningthe security mechanism on the vital road,” Singh told reporters here.

Sharing details about the arrest of alleged HizbulMujahideen suicide bomber Owais Amin, a resident of Shopian district ofsouthern Kashmir, who allegedly made an abortive attempt to target aJammu-bound CRPF convoy near Banihal in Ramban district on Saturday, Singh saidPakistani hand behind the unsuccessful attack cannot be ruled out.

Amin was arrested within 36 hours of the incident by a jointteam of police and the army near Jawahar Tunnel when he was allegedly trying toflee.

Jammu-Srinagar highway is the only all-weather road thatlinks Kashmir with rest of the world and witnesses heavy traffic movement,including vehicles of security forces moving in and out of the valley, on dailybasis.

“We are always concerned with the security of the commutersincluding the convoys. Soon after this incident happened, we luckily got timelyclues and with coordinated efforts with other security forces and army wereable to nab the culprit,” Singh said.

The arrested alleged militant was produced before mediapersons but the police chief did not share all details especially about hisdisclosures during interrogation.

“We are exercising all alert and all security measures havebeen taken to maintain peace and foil militant attacks,” he said, when askedabout reports of presence of more suicide attackers.

“The SOPs are being implemented to the best possible extentbut there are certain grey areas which we need to look into,” he said, rulingout security lapse leading to the incident.

He said airlifting of all security personnel was notpossible because of the limited number of seats. “Many personnel are availingthe facility”.

Terming the arrest of Owais a “major success”, the officersaid he has given some leads and police is focusing on various aspectsincluding the persons behind this attack, where the IEDs were fabricated insidethe car.

He said the trigger mechanism for detonating the bomb wasnot perfect leading to a minor explosion in the car, while the secondary blastcould not happen.

“After the minor explosion, the militant believed that hecan run away and jumped out of the car and fled the spot. He hid himself in anorchard and returned to the highway on Saturday night, took lift in a truck tocross over to Kashmir but the alertness of the security personnel resulted inhis arrest,” he said.

Singh said as per the investigation, he is affiliated toHizbul Mujahideen.

He said the alleged militant was trying to carry out anattack similar to that of Pulwama as the material found from the car was enoughto cause heavy damage.

“We found different types of explosives and inflammablesubstances including over 50 gelatine sticks of super power 90 grand, urea,sulphur, ammonium nitrate, two bottles of petrol, two LPG cylinders — one bigand one small, the remains of the IED which caused the minor blast and fire inthe vehicle and one unexploded IED fitted in a tiffin box,” he said.

After his arrest, the accused was put to sustained questioning and he confessed his role and further investigation is on, Singh said.

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