Reinforce safety of J&K residents: Centre

The Union Home Ministry on Friday issued an advisory to all States and Union Territories asking them to reinforce the existing arrangements to ensure safety and security of persons belonging to Jammu and Kashmir who residing in their respective jurisdictions.

Referring to its earlier advisory issued on February 16 after some students and residents of Jammu and Kashmir experienced intimidation and harassment, the Home Ministry directed the police of states and union territories to take strict action against offenders.

A Home Ministry official said the advisory has been issued in the wake of some reports of students and other residents of Jammu and Kashmir experiencing threats and intimidation in the backdrop of the February 14 suicide bombing in Pulwama that left 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel dead.

The CRPF troopers were killed when their convoy was hit by a car packed with explosives on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. The vehicle was driven by a Jammu and Kashmir youth Adil Ahmad Dar. The Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed led by Masood Azhar has claimed responsibility for the attack.

--IANS

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