What Led J&K Police & CRPF to Conduct Searches in Lal Chowk?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Srinagar, Nov 28 (NationPress) Jammu and Kashmir Police along with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) executed a cordon and search operation (CASO) in the bustling Lal Chowk area of Srinagar this past Friday.
According to an official, this operation was part of enhanced security protocols being implemented in this key commercial hub.
Multiple teams undertook surprise checks at various hotels and guesthouses to confirm visitor records and ensure that security measures were being adhered to, the official noted. The operation extended for several hours, but no suspicious activities were uncovered.
The J&K Police and allied security forces are intensifying their anti-terrorist initiatives throughout the Union Territory. These efforts are aimed at targeting not just terrorists, but also their overground workers (OGWs), sympathizers, drug traffickers, and individuals involved in hawala transactions and other illegal financial schemes.
This approach marks a strategic shift for security forces, focusing on dismantling the underlying support systems for terrorism rather than solely concentrating on armed militants.
J&K is bordered by a 740-km-long Line of Control (LoC) and a 240-km-long International Border (IB).
The army oversees the LoC in the districts of Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipora in the Kashmir Valley, as well as Poonch, Rajouri, and parts of the Jammu district in the Jammu division.
The Border Security Force (BSF) is responsible for guarding the IB in the districts of Jammu, Samba, and Kathua within the Jammu division.
Both the army and the BSF are tasked with preventing infiltration, cross-border smuggling, and countering terrorist drone operations along the LoC and IB, while the J&K Police along with other security units conduct anti-terror operations in the interior regions.
During a recent security review meeting attended by senior military officials, paramilitary forces, J&K Police, intelligence personnel, and high-ranking civil administrators, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha emphasized the need for security forces to focus on targeting the support structures of terrorism throughout the Union Territory.