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Three-tier security blanket thrown around Bakshi Stadium
August 13, 2003 19:08 IST
Apprehending suicide attacks and bomb blasts by militants to spoil the Independence Day celebrations, a three-tier security blanket has been thrown around Bakshi Stadium, the main venue of the celebrations in Jammu and Kashmir, a senior police official said on Wednesday.
"There are intelligence inputs that militants might attempt something spectacular on the Independence Day to grab the headlines," Senior Superintendent of Police Javaid Gilani told PTI in Srinagar.
Though there were no specific inputs as to where the militants would strike, the apprehensions were there that IED blasts and fidayeen attacks might be attempted to spoil the celebrations, he said.
"We are leaving nothing to chance...We have a three-tier security, involving CRPF, state police and BSF, in place for area sanitisation and dominance," Gilani said.
House-to-house searches were being held and cordons laid around the Bakshi Stadium and nearby localities, he said.
Four hundred to 700 personnel would be deployed on rooftops to maintain a bird's view over the movement of people in the next two days.
The SSP said traffic diversions, which have been in place since Tuesday, would remain in force till the culmination of the celebrations on August 15.
"We are expecting a large crowd at the stadium and as per practice, we have diverted the traffic thorough other routes leading to the stadium," he said.
Unlike in the past, he added, vehicles would be allowed till within walking distance of the venue.