Non-local labourers, vendors in Kashmir to be shifted to high-security zones

Rohit Bhan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 17

With more targeted killings reported from Kashmir on Sunday, the top brass of the police has issued an urgent advisory to all district police teams in the valley directing them to track and shift non-local labourers/vendors to high security zones.

Two more labourers from Bihar were shot dead and another injured in Wanpoh area of South Kashmir late Sunday evening.

Read also: Targeted killings: Two more non-locals shot dead, one injured in J-K's Kulgam

An advisory relayed to all district police chiefs by Kashmir IGP Vijay Kumar has directed immediate shifting of the “non-local labourers/vendors to nearest police stations, CAPF and Army camps”.

Sources said that the SOS message was relayed to the police on ground following intelligence reports which threatened of more such targeted attacks. Reliable sources said the Intel reports warned of militants targeting spots in the valley with high density of labourers from outside valley, including fruit and vegetable mandis.

The security forces have strengthened the grid mechanism along with central armed forces to secure such places. “Since they are picking up soft targets, we are trying to get them under the security blanket so as to avoid more such killings. We are also trying to increase area dominance operation in areas which have high density of non-local population,” said an officer.

In October alone, 12 civilians have been killed by militants, including members of the minority community setting of alarm bells in the security establishment.