Security has been tightened around the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Center (SKICC) here ahead of the G-20 working group meeting on tourism next week, officials said on Friday.
Elite NSG and Navy commandos have been deployed in addition to police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other paramilitary forces to ensure the high-profile event runs smoothly, they said.
On Thursday, the Marine Commandos or MARCOS carried out a sanitization exercise on the famous Dal Lake near the headquarters.
Elite commandos searched several houseboats and toured the body of water in ‘shikaras’. The exercise was part of the security drill prior to the G20 event.
Kashmir will host the third meeting of the G20 Tourism Working Group from May 22-24. Commandos from the National Security Guard carried out a similar drill in the Lal Chowk area of the city here.
The NSG commandos, accompanied by personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF, carried out an exercise of sanitation and domination of the area. They checked the hotels in Lal Chowk.
Officials said the drills were part of a security plan to make sure the event went off without any adverse incidents.
They said that security has been tightened throughout the Kashmir Valley, especially in this city. Security forces have been deployed in the city to dominate the area and sanitation exercises.
Vehicles passing through the city are being randomly checked to ensure that no subversive elements make it into the city, the officials said.
Officials said that three-tiered security will be in place for the event. Jammu and Kashmir police have set up anti-drone mechanisms, they said.
Officials said the city became a drone-free zone until the event ends.
They said the administration is doing its best to put on a great show for the delegates arriving in town for the key meeting, they added.
The routes foreign delegates are expected to take have been redone ahead of the meeting.
Several projects, which were part of Srinagar Smart City, were considered priority and the city has been decked out for the international event.
Meanwhile, the Kashmiri police issued a public notice against suspicious international mobile numbers that are allegedly being used to spread rumors about the G20 meeting in the Valley.
Many cell phone users in the valley have received recorded messages from those numbers asking them to boycott the event.
Police said such numbers were spreading anti-national messages/propaganda and the general public is requested to remain vigilant for such attempts and not respond to suspicious calls.
The police cyber cell has also become aware of the matter and investigations are underway.
Security has also been increased in and around Katra and the Mata Vaishnodevi cave sanctuary in the Trikuta Hills of the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
The CRPF, which protects the temple and its base camp, has deployed special teams, dog squads and intensified 24-hour patrolling amid heightened domination of the areas.
“My troops are alert. They are vigilant. In view of the G20 meeting in Srinagar, we have increased security. Special teams have been deployed for 24-hour security. Special dog squads have been deployed in crowded areas. Entry points have been secured,” said CRPF 6th Battalion Commander Yad Ram Bunkar.
Specialized teams have been deployed on some hills around the Mata Vaishnodevi temple, he said.
In Jammu, authorities have deployed drone-backed CRT teams, authorities said. Vehicles are being checked at all entry points to Jammu, they said.
Multi-level security from the army, Border Security Force, police and CRPF has been activated along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC), the officials said.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed: ITP)
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