Srinagar remains troubled city; peace prevails in other areas

Two years after the abrogation of Article 370, Srinagar has emerged as the focal point for militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir while armed forces continue to dominate in other parts of the Valley.

There have been more than 35 militancy-related incidents in Srinagar this year, including grenade attacks and recovery of at least three improvised explosive devices. The recent encounters in and on the outskirts of Srinagar, frequent cordon-and-search operations and targeted killings have sent the security grid into a tizzy. “Militants want to strike in Srinagar to get more attention, due to which the security forces have to be on a high alert,” said a Union home ministry official, who did not wish to be identified.

In September last year, the authorities had declared Srinagar a militant-free zone. Less than a year later, 10-12 militants are active in the capital city while activities of overground workers are at an all-time high despite restrictions due to Covid-19, said officials.

Last month, police arrested five persons for allegedly threatening social activists, politicians, government officers and journalists in Srinagar.

Police officials said “hybrid militancy”, where a recruit executes one mission and goes back to routine life, is also a concern even as the crackdown on overground workers of militants has been intensified. The police has also dealt strictly with the youngsters engaged in protests and detained scores for their alleged involvement in fomenting unrest. As per the police and other agencies, around 225 militants are active in J&K including 80-90 foreigners.
Home ministry officials pointed to a surge in the number of pistols seized in 2020, indicating that weapons smuggled from across the border are being used around Srinagar to carry out attacks on political workers and security forces. Last year, 73 pistols were seized, as compared to one in 2019 and five in 2018.

Nearly 90 militants, including eight foreigners, have been killed in encounters and operations since the beginning of the year. During this period, at least 78 locals were recruited in the militant ranks.

“We receive regular inputs regarding the presence of militants in Srinagar and we conduct frequent cordon-and-search operations especially in HMT, Zakura, Omar Haer and some parts of the old city as well,” said the official cited earlier.
In an encounter on June 28, a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander, Nadeem Abrar, who had been active from 2018, was killed in HMT area on the outskirts of Srinagar along with his Pakistani associate.