SRINAGAR: Many schools in Jammu have been closed over anticipated threats on them as authorities hold high-level meetings to combat terror attacks on security forces.
After the spike in terror attacks in Jammu region, high alert has been sounded and as precautionary measures, army cantonment schools and Kendra Vidyalaya schools have been closed and may remain so till Independence day celebrations.
These schools were closed according to media reports after intelligence inputs that terrorists may target these schools.
Earlier, high- level security meetings were put in place regarding the operations in Jammu to combat the increasing attacks on security forces.
Army and security forces in Samba district of Jammu have started tunnel busting operations as they fear that terrorists may be arriving through tunnels to Jammu region.
Reports said that army schools in Jammu will remain closed until Saturday initially, and security surveillance has been enhanced at crucial army and defence installations in Jammu and adjoining districts of Punjab like Pathankot.
This all has been triggered after the Punjab Police released a sketch of one of the seven suspects, as a woman in Pathankot said that she saw seven suspicious individuals in her village.
Earlier, after the series of high- level security meetings, the army has deployed 500 Para commandos for the security operations in Jammu region.
Army has said that these commandos would be used in the security operations which would be started on the instructions and intelligence and security grid.
Few days back, lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha chaired a high- level security review meeting in which the army chief was also present.
Various heads of security and law enforcement agencies had a detailed discussion on the present security situation in Jammu division.
Apart from army chief General Upendra Dwivedi, DG BSF, DG CRPF, DGP J&K UT and heads of all intelligence agencies were present in this crucial meeting.
After the meeting Sinha told the media that army CAPFs and J&K Police will actively conduct coordinated counter terror operations in Jammu division.
Recently, police arrested two overground workers (OGW) in Kathua and they have been detained for helping the terrorists to attack the soldiers, recently near a village in Kathua.
Meanwhile, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Sunday said that the spike in terrorist attacks would be no justification to delay Assembly elections, which were held even in 1996 when militancy was at its peak in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Some people are saying the situation has deteriorated and hence, there should be no elections. What happened to you? Are we so weak or the situation worsened so much that there are no chances of holding elections? We held elections in 1996 and you have to agree that there is a difference of heaven and earth between the situation at that time and today,” he said.
“Those who do not want to hold elections (in J&K) should tell us that we are bowing before the gun-toting forces and are accepting defeat, besides ignoring the sacrifices of our forces. You tell our enemies that we will lay down without fighting,” he said.