Security intensified, frisking increased on highway
Jammu: A team of experts from National Investigation Agency (NIA) Thursday visited low intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion site i.e., Salathia Chowk in Udhampur amid heightened security arrangements across the district.
It was the second visit of the NIA’s expert team at the explosion site in which one person was killed and 16 others wounded including an 8-month old child following a low intensity IED blast.
A senior police officer said that “the district police team has been tasked to hold a probe in the IED explosion,” “However, we wanted some expert opinion from the NIA officials after which they visited the site with their team,” the officer said.
The police officer said “the site has been sealed with barbed wires restricting the movement of the people even as the road is open partially for free flow of the traffic or movement of common people.”
“The police teams were deployed to secure the explosion site as different investigating agencies visited Salathia Chowk. The NIA team was headed by an SSP rank officer,” said a police official.
“The special investigating police team tasked to probe the case is taking all aspects into account with the assistance of different investigating agencies like NIA, SIA, Indian Army, central intelligence agencies etc,” the police officer said adding that so far, no suspect has been detained.
The investigating police team, NIA and other agencies also recorded statements of Anita, wife of the deceased person identified as Jugal, and other injured persons. At present the district hospital Udhampur, according to the sources, has only three patients (victims of IED blast) admitted including Anita, her minor son, residents of Danal Johnu and Sahil Kumar. “Sahil Kumar was operated in the district hospital Udhampur and he is stable and all other injured were discharged gradually,” said the sources.
Meanwhile, the security has been beefed up across Udhampur district and on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in particular.
“Every security agency is working in close coordination to keep the district safe from the anti-national elements. Being an important place with regard to security establishments, the security forces have increased checking on the highway, too,” the police officer added.
