CRPF DG chairs security meet, dog squads deployed across dozen villages, highway vigil tightened
Kulgam | November 14: A massive search operation to track down the terrorists responsible for firing on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) party in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district entered its fourth consecutive day on Saturday, officials said.
Dog squads have been pressed into service to assist search teams across a dozen villages, while security has been tightened along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and adjoining areas to prevent suspicious movement, officials added.
Director General of Police (DGP) J&K Nalin Prabhat visited multiple ongoing operation sites in Kulgam on Saturday to review the security situation following the attack that left three CRPF personnel injured. During his visit, the DGP interacted with ground officers, took stock of the searches, and directed forces to strengthen the security grid and intensify counter-insurgency operations, sources said.
Meanwhile, CRPF Director General Gyanendra Pratap Singh chaired an operational conference at the Group Centre CRPF in Srinagar to assess preparedness across Kashmir. Attended by senior officers including SDG (Operations) Vitul Kumar, SDG J&K Zone Sandeep Khirwar, IG Operations Kashmir Sector Vineet Brijlal, IG Srinagar Sector Pawan Kumar Sharma, and Valley unit commanders, the meeting focused on sustained counter-insurgency strategies, a CRPF statement said.
The DG instructed officers to enhance real-time coordination, maintain heightened readiness, and dismantle terrorist support networks.
On Wednesday, terrorists opened fire on a security checkpoint near Nowpora Akhran in Kulgam, injuring three CRPF personnel, one of whom was airlifted to Srinagar for specialized treatment, reports said. Since the incident, security agencies have expanded surveillance, questioned around 500 suspected overground workers (OGWs), and brought in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to collect evidence from the attack site, sources said.
