CRPF and police conduct searches in Lal Chowk in Srinagar

Srinagar, Apr 3 (UNI) Life came to halt in the historic Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, after Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and state police personnel sealed the entire area and conducted searches following a tip off about a possible militant attack.

As the businessmen in the Lal Chowk and adjoining areas were attending their customers, CRPF and police personnel stopped traffic on the otherwise very busy route.

The searches in the area were conducted about an hour after militants attacked a CRPF bunker in the down town area today, causing injuries to six civilians.

Security personnel set up road blocks near Ghanta Ghar to Gurudwara Chowk and all those present in the area pedestrians, shopkeepers and their customers -- were only allowed to leave after the security personnel properly checked their identity cards. Even the women and girls were properly frisked and their cards checked by the women police personnel.

It has become a daily routine for the security forces to conduct searches in the civil lines, affecting the business, the shopkeepers alleged.

Traffic to Batmaloo and other north city and uptown areas was diverted through other routes because of the search operation.

Reports of similar operations by the security forces and police were also received from other areas.

Militants killed about half a dozen security force and police personnel in the civil line areas last year.

UNI