Obama tour forces security reassessment in Kashmir

Jammu: Fearing a major terror attack ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit to India early next month, a security strategy will be chalked out in Jammu and Kashmir, an official said.

The Unified Command, which is the state's highest decision making agency on security, will meet in the next couple of days to chalk out a strategy to tackle any terror threat amid concerns that terrorists might be planning a big strike in the coming days, official sources said.

It is feared that terrorists might attempt to do something spectacular in the state to hit international headlines ahead of Obama's visit.

"In order to decide a strategy to thwart terrorists' plans, we will hold a meeting of the Unified Command," a senior officer who is a member of the command structure said.

The Unified Command has representatives from the army, police, paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies.

One of the factors that added to the security concerns was the death of two Pakistani terrorists in a gunbattle with security forces near Srinagar on Thursday. A third militant, a local resident, was caught alive.

"This is an alarming signal for the security forces," the officer said.

Terrorists have always struck in a major way in the state ahead of any significant, high-profile visit, particularly by officials from the US. The Chitisinghpora massacre was carried out in April 2008 just ahead of then president Bill Clinton's maiden India visit.

The Unified Command will take a close look at the security scenario across the state, the presence of terrorists within the state and their concentration at launching pads across the Line of Control that demarcates areas under Indian and Pakistani control, sources said.

Vigil in border areas

The meeting will also take stock of separatist strategies to summon people to the streets among other things, the sources said.

"At present, there are about 500 active militants in the state, and there also is need for us to step up vigil in the border areas as the threat of infiltration persists," Jammu and Kashmir's Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda told reporters in Srinagar on Thursday.