SRINAGAR: A study group has been constituted in Jammu and Kashmir to suggest measures to further strengthen security for movement of convoys along the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
“The study group has been formed. It will go to the blast site at Banihal and give a report on how to strengthen security mechanism on the highway,” Director General of J&K Police Dilbagh Singh said in Jammu.
The study group has been formed after Saturday’s failed suicide car bombing on CRPF convoy at Banihal.
Police have arrested Hizbul Mujahideen militant Owais Amin of south Kashmir’s Shoipan district, who was driving a Santro and escaped with minor injuries after a failed car bomb blast attempt on Sunday evening.
A CRPF bus suffered minor damages in the blast. The DGP said it is good for the investigation that the trigger mechanism of the car bomb was not perfect.
“A minor blast took place due to which the car caught fire and he (driver) sustained minor injuries. The secondary blast comprising IED, gelatin sticks of superpower 90 grand, petrol and 2 LPGs did not explode,” he said.
Asked whether it was a fidayeen attack, the DGP said, “Yes. It was. He had come to carry out fidayeen attack. He escaped after the first blast”.
“During the investigation, he has confessed that he was affiliated with the Hizbul Mujahideen,” he said.
When told that MHA has advised for airlifting of jawans, DGP said, “Wherever possible, air travel facility is provided to the jawans. However, there are limited flights and they also have limited capacity and every jawan cannot be accommodated”. He, however, said many jawans are using the air travel facility.
The DGP said many measures have been taken including stopping of civilian vehicles during convoy movement on the highway since February 14 suicide bombing on CRPF bus at Lethpora, Pulwama killed 40 paramilitary personnel.
“We have foiled many militant attacks since February 14 attack,” he said. After Feb 14 attack, authorities are stopping civilian vehicles during security forces convoy movements on the highway. “You cannot isolate the civilian traffic on road because of limitations on the ground,” added DGP.