Security grid warns of terror strikes in Kashmir

JAMMU - Terrorists may try to disrupt peace in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of US President Barack Obama’s India visit beginning Saturday, the top security grid of the state warned Monday.

Senior security officials, including from the army, paramilitary and police, in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called for intensified vigil ahead of and during Obama’s four-day stay in India.

Abdullah flew from Srinagar to Jammu to review the security situation in the state, after he held a similar meeting of the unified command in Srinagar last week.

The unified command headed by the chief minister is the top security grid in the terror-riven state.

Officials voiced their concern over the increasing attempts by Pakistan to “push in terrorists from across” the border and also the repeated “ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops on the Line of Control”, a source privy to the two-hour meeting told IANS.

The chief minister told the command that the security situation was “fragile and there may be attempts by enemies of peace to cause trouble in the next few days”, the source said.

Omar asked security forces to be extra vigilant during these days.

Abdullah stressed that people needed to be made more aware about safety in crowded market places and other important installations during the festival season, as Diwali falls on Friday.