The Jammu Kashmir administration has ordered re-construction of security pickets across Kashmir valley, especially in Srinagar city, where targeted civilian killings have increased since October, The Times of India reported.
The order came on Thursday, when two encounters broke out in the valley at separate locations.
The encounter in Kulgam district’s Czawalgam went on all night and two militants including a top commander, who was active since 2015, have been killed in an encounter in Chensar area of Czawalgam area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, another militant was killed in the overnight encounter that raged in the Bemina area of Srinagar.
Sources said 50 security pickets were removed from various vulnerable areas across Kashmir valley in 2011, besides release of 600 stone pelters, by the then Omar Abdullah government in consultation with former Union home minister P Chidambaram, the report says.
“Authorities removed five such security pickets from various spots in Srinagar city in February this year in the run up to the visit of the European Union delegation. Two of them were removed from Lal Chowk area,” it says, further.
Pertinently, security agencies have even advised to set up security pickets removed between 2011 and 2014. This necessitated bringing in 5,500 more paramilitary personnel to Kashmir last week.
The UPA government in 2010 had appointed a three-member interlocutor team, which recommended the removal of the security pickets.
Now, with increase in militancy related activities and frequent attacks on civilians and members of minority community since October 2 this year, authorities recently re-built two pickets at Barzulla bridge on the way to the Bone and Joint Hospital in Srinagar.