SRINAGAR, India, 1 March 2008 — Ministers and bureaucrats traveling with Kashmir’s Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on state planes will now have to undergo physical and luggage checks.
The order issued by the state government’s home department reflects the increasing threat to the life of the chief minister.
Azad’s personal security status was upgraded recently to Z-plus category when commandos of the National Security Guards (NSG) were posted as part of his personal security detail.
Until recently, armed security was provided for Azad by the state’s special services group (SSG) comprising trained commandos from the security wing of local police.
Former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was protected by the SSG during his tenure as his personal security status remained below the Z-plus category.
Opposition National Conference chief and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah also enjoys the Z-plus security status and is protected by the commandos of the NSG.
Although the level of secessionist violence has come down in recent months, the situation remains worrying. Four separatist guerrillas were killed in a gunbattle with security forces in south Kashmir yesterday, police said.
The operation in Saidpora village of Shopian district, 67 km from here, was carried out by troops of 44 Rashtriya Rifles and the special operations group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir police.
“On specific information about the presence of a group of militants in Saidpora village, the security forces laid a cordon around a residential house late yesterday (Thursday),” a senior police officer said.
“When the hiding militants were told to lay down their weapons, they opened indiscriminate fire at the troops, triggering an encounter that lasted several hours. All four militants have been killed without any casualty to the troops. The identity of the slain militants is being established,” the police officer said.
— With input from agencies
