Countdown begins in Srinagar

Following the Kashmir police chief’s assertion that 40 trained militants on a suicide mission would try to disrupt Independence Day cel...

Following the Kashmir police chief’s assertion that 40 trained militants on a suicide mission would try to disrupt Independence Day celebrations, additional para-military and police have been deployed in Srinagar to ward off any trouble.

IGP Kashmir, K. Rajendra, had earlier given this information to newsmen quoting intelligence inputs. He had also said that Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah was on the militants’ hit-list, besides some vital installations like Radio Kashmir and the Secretariat.

IED blast leaves 19 injured

SRINAGAR: Militants detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on Wednesday and followed it up by firing on troops returning from search operations at Gadapur village en route to Qasdoora last night. A Captain was among the three Army personnel killed and 19 others, two of them civilians, were also injured.

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The IED went off when a bus passed over it, injuring 19 Armymen, the driver and the conductor. The injured were rushed to a hospital where the Captain, a JCO and another jawan succumbed to their injuries. No one has claimed responsibility for it. (ENS)

Rajendra said that these suicide squads, each comprising 10 members each, from the Lashkar-e-Toiba, the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Al-Umar have given final touches to their plans to carry out major strikes.

While the main function will be held at the Bakhshi Stadium, the BSF will hoist the Tricolour on Thursday at the historic Lal Chowk. The Tricolour will also be unfurled in all six district headquarters of the Valley.

In a bid to prevent any such attacks, police and para-military men carried out intensive searches in localities neighbouring the stadium again. Additional nakas and checkpoints were have been set up in the city.

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It is also learnt that police have arrested former militants, suspects and their harbourers. ‘‘They will mostly be in preventive custody and released after the event is over,’’ a top police officer said.

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