RESTRICTIONS REIMPOSED IN SRINAGAR

SRINAGAR: Restrictions were imposed in Srinagar city on Friday after posters issued by the separatists called on people to march to the local United Nations military observer group office, officials said. Restrictions were eased in most areas of Kashmir this week, with barricades being lifted and the movement of people and traffic increasing gradually, but markets remained shut and mobile and Internet services suspended for the 18th day on Thursday. The separatists, who called for a march, have claimed that the Centre’s move to scrap Article 370 was an attempt to change the demography of the Muslim-majority state.

SRINAGAR: Fresh bunkers have come up within Srinagar city and in other areas of the Valley amid apprehensions of attacks on security force installations in the wake of Jammu & Kashmir being stripped of special status and of movement of militants from one area to another.

On Wednesday, in the first operation against militants in north Kashmir’s Baramulla town after the nullification of Article 370, a militant and a policeman was killed, while another police officer was wounded. The operation was launched on a tip-off about militant presence in a congested locality of the town.

In January this year, after killing three local militants on the town’s outskirts, the police had declared Baramulla police district free of resident militants. However, in the last seven months, many local youths have joined militant ranks in the district. On Thursday, sand-bag or iron-shield bunkers could be seen in several places in the civil lines areas of Srinagar and in towns of north and south Kashmir. They are manned by the police and personnel from the CRPF and BSF.

Bunkers have also come up in the old city. There is one opposite the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital that caters to the tertiary medical needs of people from the city as well as those from nearby villages. Iron-shield bunkers have also come up at the entry point of the old city near Dawood bridge.

At several places, night-checking points and nakas have been set up. On Tuesday night, dozens of nakas were set up across the city where vehicles were checked and people travelling late at night were questioned.

There were plans to impose night restrictions across Kashmir but they were put on hold after an ostensible improvement in the situation. A senior police officer confirmed as much. “Right now, deployments in sensitive areas are made in the wee hours and withdrawals take place late at night. At some very sensitive spots, there is 24x7 deployment.”