Patrolling, drills in Srinagar

Samaan Lateef

Srinagar, May 20

Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K, is currently under a heightened state of security as it prepares to host the three-day G20 Tourism Working Group meeting from May 22. The city has been enveloped in an unprecedented security blanket with the deployment of marine commandos, National Security Guard (NSG) members and various other security forces.

Panic gripped Shah Anwar Colony of Hyderpora locality in Srinagar after dozens of soldiers and policemen conducted house-to-house search as part of the area domination exercise. The colony is located near the airport road and along the Srinagar-Baramulla highway which is likely to be used by G20 delegates to reach Gulmarg.

The Marine commandos, also known as Marcos, have taken charge of securing Dal Lake, which surrounds the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), the designated venue for the G20 meeting. They have been conducting the area domination exercises in boats and shikaras in the waterbody.

A comprehensive three-tier security arrangement has been put in place. The security grid consists of Army, BSF, CRPF, SSB and the police.

The extensive presence of security personnel is a precautionary measure against potential terrorist threats that may aim to disrupt the G20 event in Kashmir, suggest intelligence inputs.

Kashmir ADGP Vijay Kumar said the security measures undertaken included deployment of anti-drone equipment with the assistance of the NSG and the Army.

As a precautionary measure, several prominent schools in Srinagar have been temporarily closed until May 25. Furthermore, Kashmiri Pandit employees and staff from other minority groups have been advised not to attend their duties during this period.

The security personnel have initiated a major crackdown, detaining and arresting numerous suspects and separatists in different parts of Kashmir.