Police on high alert after terror attack in Pahalgam

A high alert has been sounded and security beefed up along the 240-km border that Chamba district shares with Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today directed the state police to remain on high alert to avert any untoward incident. He also ordered the police to step up vigil along the border with Jammu and Kashmir.

DGP Atul Verma today chaired a high-level meeting in which steps to enhance vigil along the border with Jammu and Kashmir were discussed at length. He directed the police officers to ensure close coordination with the intelligence wing to monitor and verify any threat inputs and the preparedness of quick response teams (QRTs) and ensure anti-sabotage checks at vulnerable points.

The high alert was sounded keeping in mind past instances when militants took refuge in uninhabited higher reaches in Chamba on the border with Jammu and Kashmir. Though there had been only a few incidents of militants killing people in Himachal, the most ghastly was the killing of 35 innocent labourers engaged in road construction at Kalaban in the Satrundi area of Chamba on the night of August 2, 1998.

Following the killing of tourists by terrorists in Pahalgam, the Himachal Pradesh Police have tightened security measures in the state, particularly in border districts and major tourist locations. Chamba and Kangra districts, which share border with Jammu and Kashmir, have been put on high alert. Field units have been directed to step up surveillance and patrolling in sensitive areas, tourist destinations, bus stands, religious places and at public gatherings.

The DGP directed the officers to ensure heightened security checks at inter-state borders, regular vehicle checks and identity verification. Instructions were also given for ensuring special surveillance over the movement of migrant labourers and the monitoring of suspicious or undocumented individuals. Besides, directions were also issued for ensuring increased visibility of police personnel in public areas to instill a sense of safety among citizens and tourists.

All SPs were instructed to review and reinforce contingency plans, ensure effective communication systems and maintain readiness to respond to any untoward incident swiftly. Besides, all SHOs were directed to remain alert and maintain regular communication with all sections of society to ensure communal harmony in the state.

Meanwhile, the police have appealed to people to remain alert but calm, and report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station or on the emergency helpline number 112.

Punish those behind killing of tourists: Pratibha

• State Congress president Pratibha Singh condemned the terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam. She expressed grief over the killings and offered condolences to the bereaved families.
• She said that none of the terrorists involved in this cowardly attack should be spared at any cost. “The terrorists have committed such a dastardly act that the whole country is in mourning,” she added.
• Pratibha said any kind of separatist thinking or incident could not be accepted at any level in the country. “Strict security measures should be taken to prevent such incidents in future,” she added.