SRINAGAR: Train service has been suspended on Monday for security reasons in the Kashmir valley, where a Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) militant and three Over Ground Workers (OGWs) were killed by security forces in an encounter in Shopian on Sunday night.
However, Srinagar-Jammu national highway, passing through south Kashmir, was through for one-way traffic. We have suspended all train runs in the Kashmir valley today, a railway official told UNI.
He said no train will run between Srinagar-Anantnag-Qazigund in south Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region. Similarly, no train will chug on Srinagar-Badgam in central Kashmir to Baramulla in north, he said.
Train service has been suspended in the valley after a fresh directive was received from police late last night. "We are acting on the advice of police, he said adding the decision was taken in the interest of passengers and railway property. Normally trains witness heavy rush on Saturday in the afternoon, when people are going to their homes and on Monday when they (people) are resuming their duties and business", the official said.
In the past railway property suffered heavy damage due to protests and demonstrators in the valley. During last year the train service was suspended for over 50 times partially or fully for security reasons. However, in 2016 train service remained suspended for about six months during summer unrest.
Train service has become a very popular in the Kashmir valley which is being considered cheap, fast and safe. A police spokesman said here on Monday that a message was received from Army that during an encounter a militant and three OGWs were killed at Pahnoo Shopian on Sunday night.
He said the slain militant was identified as Amir Ahmad Malik, a militant of LeT who was active since June 2017. He also said police has taken up the investigation.