J&K: Days after Kulgam terror attack, man with grenade held in Pulwama

SRINAGAR: A suspect was arrested Monday in J&K’s Pulwama with a hand grenade, three “anti-national” posters and a mobile phone during a security overdrive spurred by last week’s killings of two migrant labourers in a terror attack in neighbouring Kulgam.Police identified the man as Tousef Ahmad Dar, a local, and booked him under several laws, including the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).Authorities claimed Dar was spotted walking towards a checkpoint set up jointly by J&K police, Army and CRPF and began to flee after noticing the security forces. Dar was chased down by troopers and caught some distance away, the police said.“The police remain committed to maintaining peace and security and will continue to take firm action against individuals involved in anti-national and unlawful activities,” the police said in a statement.The checkpoint where Dar was spotted is one of many across Kashmir that have come up after the killings of the two migrant workers on July 31.Earlier, on July 23, a terrorist shot dead a J&K head constable, Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, in south Kashmir’s Anantnag. It was the first attack in Kashmir since the Pahalgam massacre that left 26 people, most of them tourists, dead on April 22 last year. The police said Lashkar-e-Toiba offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF) was involved in both the Kulgam and Anantnag attacks.On Monday, Kashmir IG VK Birdi reviewed security and ordered robust counter-insurgency measures. “He (Virdi) stressed seamless coordination among all agencies. The IGP also reviewed security for highways, rail tracks and stations across the Valley. He directed officers to place “dynamic nakas” and ensure enhanced foot patrolling, particularly at night, at vulnerable locations and inter-district boundaries,” a police spokesman said.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.