Anti-Pak protests rock Jammu, Udhampur against twin blasts
STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: Security forces accompanied by sniffer dogs carried out an extensive search of the inter-state bus terminal here after suspected terrorists triggered a blast in a parked bus in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district early Thursday, officials said.
A high alert has been sounded in the Jammu region after the blast. Earlier, a similar explosion took place in Udhampur but there was no casualty, police said.
Loudspeaker-fitted police vehicles made announcements in Katra and Ramnagar towns asking pilgrims, locals and commuters to keep an eye on suspected objects and persons.
The special operations group (SOG) of J-K Police armed with sniffer dogs carried out searches and a sanitisation operation in the bus stand area of Jammu city, the officials said.
Security was beefed up at the bus stand and vehicles coming into the city were being searched at various checkpoints, they said.
In Katra town, the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi cave shrine located in Trikuta hills, security was tightened to ensure a smooth yatra during Navratri. Thousands of pilgrims arrive in the holy town daily from various parts of the country to pay obeisance at the cave shrine. In the Ramnagar area of Udhampur district, where the blast took place, police swung into action and carried out searches of buses and other public transport vehicles.
Similar searches were carried out in Kathua, Samba and Reasi districts, the officials said.
In Rajouri, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to address a rally on October 4, a high-level security setup has been activated in and around the venue of the event, they said.
Meanwhile, the protests against Pakistan rocked Jammu and Udhampur districts after twin blasts with protestors blocking highway and other roads.
In Udhampur, locals came out at three places in the town and held anti-Pakistan protests.
They also burnt effigy of Pakistan and raised anti-Pakistan slogans.
The protestors demand enhancement of security in and around the town to foil the terrorists’ designs and create fear psychosis.
They lashed out at the security agencies for their failure to ensure fool proof security despite ongoing Navrata festival and forthcoming visit of Union home minister Amit Shah on October 4.
In Jammu city, Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and Dogra front held anti-Pakistan protests and called for uncovering those who executed the blasts and ensure their elimination. They raised anti-Pak slogans and took out protest rallies in the city.