Srinagar, January 24
Tight security arrangements have been made across the Kashmir valley to thwart any designs of militants to create trouble on the occasion of the Republic Day. Bakshi Stadium, venue of the main Republic Day celebrations here, continues to be under tight security cover following cordon and search operations in residential localities in its vicinity during the past two weeks.

Security is beefed up here on the Republic and Independence days in view of “continued threats” from militants. “Militants have the capability to strike, but good arrangements are made to frustrate their designs”, said a senior police officer.

The police has set up barricades on the main roads near the Bakshi Stadium to regulate vehicular traffic. Road links to Wazir Bagh and Jawahar Nagar from the Indira Gandhi airport road have been closed for pedestrians and vehicular traffic. Paramilitary troops are keeping a round-the-clock vigil on the areas around the venue.

Meanwhile, the separatist Hurriyat Conference has called for a general strike here on the Republic Day and asked people to observe it as “black day”. An APHC spokesman alleged that the security forces had unleashed a reign of terror in the name of security. He alleged that crackdowns, killings and human rights violations were on the increase in the past few weeks.

JAMMU: While the Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing in various sectors on the IB, in which one BSF jawan, Rajput Prafulla, was injured in the R.S. Pora sector, militants attacked a police post in Sathra village in the Mandi block of Poonch early this morning.

According to the police, a group of militants first hurled a grenade on the post and later resorted to indiscriminate firing in which one constable was killed and three others were wounded. One policeman wounded critically was airlifted to Jammu medical college.