After tunnel attack, J&K L-G directs police to conduct security audit of infra projects in Kashmir

Srinagar: In the backdrop of recent terror attack at a key tunnel construction site in Gagangir in central Ganderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha on Wednesday directed police to conduct a comprehensive security audit of all infrastructure projects across the valley.

The LG, who held a security review meeting at Raj Bhawan, here, on the security situation in Kashmir, asked the J&K police to conduct a security audit of infrastructure projects and ensure stringent measures to tighten the security grid around key projects and construction camps for the safety of workers.

On Sunday seven people, including a local doctor and staff of a construction company working on a tunnel for the Srinagar-Leh national highway, were killed when terrorists opened fire on a construction site in Gangngeer area of Ganderbal.

On Tuesday, LG Sinha said two foreign terrorists, who possibly infiltrated from north Kashmir's Bandipora area, were involved in the attack. The unidentified terrorists carried out the attack when the labourers and other staff working on the tunnel project had returned to their camp late in the evening.

An official spokesperson said the LG directed the police to ensure a robust security and intelligence grid and well-planned joint operation with army and other security agencies to eliminate terrorism.

“The entire terror eco-system including perpetrators and those aiding and abetting terrorists requires to be completely dismantled," Sinha directed.

The meeting was attended by J&K police chief Nalin Prabhat, Principal Secretary, Home Department, Chandraker Bharti, Additional Director General of Police, Vijay Kumar, Additional Director General of Police, CID, Nitish Kumar and other senior officers of police and administration, the spokesperson added.

Sunday’s attack came just days after the first elected government in Jammu and Kashmir was sworn in since it was hived off into a union territory and its special status under Article 370 withdrawn in August 2019.