Jammu: Ahead of the Republic Day celebrations, Jammu’s Maulana Azad Stadium where Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha will unfurl the tricolour, has been put under siege, officials said on Sunday.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will also be present at the main venue on January 26 to mark the 77th Republic Day celebrations, they said.
A multi-layered security blanket has been thrown around the stadium and other venues at district and tehsil headquarters across Jammu region including the hilly areas to ensure incident-free celebrations, the officials said.
An armoured police vehicle has been deployed at the main entrance to the stadium in the heart of the city, while barricades have also been erected for crowd management, with both gates closed and guarded by a strong contingent of police and paramilitary forces, they said.
Security forces have also taken control of all strategic locations and nearby buildings to maintain close vigil over the movement of people.
A massive anti-terror operation was going on across Jammu region over the past one month, leading to four encounters – three in Kathua district and one in Kishtwar district within three weeks, resulting in the killing of a Pakistani terrorist affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Kathua district on January 23.
A paratrooper of the Army also lost his life and seven other soldiers were injured in another encounter in Chatroo forest belt of Kishtwar on January 18.
Though the recent heavy snowfall has impacted the anti-terror operations in the higher reaches, the officials said security forces continue to remain on high alert and have intensified vigil on the borders and the hinterland to thwart any attempt by terrorists to disrupt R-Day celebrations.
The officials said Village Defence Guards (VDGs) have also been mobilised across Jammu region to further bolster the security arrangements amid intensified area domination patrolling.
