Sticky bombs a threat, will face it: J&K DGP Dilbagh Singh

JAMMU — Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbagh Singh on Saturday said sticky bombs are a challenge for the police but huge amount of recoveries have been made and more recoveries of such bombs are on cards.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a sports event, the J&K’s Director General of Police stated that security forces are keeping a watch on the militancy activities and many attempts to target forces have been foiled.

About sticky bombs, the DGP said that such bombs are a threat only because the magnet it contains can be fixed with any vehicle or metal surface.

“This is a ploy to target private vehicles, or security forces vehicle or for that matter, any abandoned vehicle in the busy places. We will ensure to prevent such attacks and the threat that exits will be faced by the police and other agencies,” he said, adding that “extra vigil is being maintained to prevent IED attacks as evident with the last week’s development wherein two modules of Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad were busted in Awantipora in Pulwama in which IED material was recovered and a person who had agreed to carry out Lethpora, Pulwama-like vehicle IED explosion was arrested.”

The DGP also said that the large IEDs weighing over 7 kilograms were recovered recently. “Security grid is working hard to foil all such bids by the militants,” he added.

About the Sopore grenade attack, the DGP said that the attack can be on anyone and it’s not the first one that has come up.

To a question about the Amarnath Yatra, the DGP said that all the security arrangements are in place and whatever more is required will be done. “Extra forces will be deployed and we will ensure fool-proof security for the upcoming annual pilgrimage of Amarnath,” he said.

On Pakistan’s involvement in promoting narco-militancy in Kashmir, he said that they’re always up to disturb the situation. “We have always foiled their attempts and it will continue in times to come. Many cases have come up in last year and this year as well but the investigation is very strengthened and these cases have been forwarded to National Investigation Agency (NIA) where the links between militants and narco-trade were found,” the DGP said.

The DGP said that there are 200 militants active in Jammu and Kashmir. “I am hopeful the number will reduce more,” he said, adding that on launch pads across the LoC, the number of militants ready to sneak in is about 250.