Frisking, Checking create panic in commercial hub Lal Chowk

Srinagar: Panic gripped Srinagar’s commercial hub Lal Chowk on Friday when over a dozen armoured vehicles belonging to army, Special Operations Group (SoG) of J&K Police and anti-fidayeen squad of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) emerged there and took positions on roads and on buildings.
Though no search operation was conducted in the commercial hub, however, the presence of soldiers, troopers and cops created scary atmosphere while most of the pedestrians moved to safer places. In last two years, twice the Government Forces emerged in city centre Lal Chowk and created search operations. That was on September 15, 2016 and June 10, 2017.
A traders in city centre said that they felt if any militant is present in the area, the way soldiers and forces personnel all of a sudden emerged here.
The forces personnel even occupied building roofs and remained present in the area for more than an hour.
SSP Srinagar, Imtiyaz Ismail Parray said that it was a routine exercise drill.