In the last month, targeted killings by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir took away the lives of three civilians and two security personnel. Fearing for their lives and of their kin, over 4,000 Kashmiri Pandits in the valley’s Jammu region have threatened the government that they would leave the valley en masse.
Given the current developments in the Union Territory, Home Minister Amit Shah has sought an explanation from the Lt Governor. According to media sources, a security briefing in Delhi would take place on June 3, along with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
Terrorists have been targeting ‘Hindu’ government employees in recent weeks. In a gruesome event that shocked the valley two days back, a teacher was killed right outside her school soon after her husband dropped her at the gate. And a week ago, a policeman and a television artist were shot dead by the terrorists. With the prevailing threat to civilian lives in Jammu and Kashmir, the June 3 meeting will see serious discussions to ensure the safety of minorities in the UT.
The meeting will also take stock of security arrangements for the annual Amarnath yatra, which was on hold for the last two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. The previous high-level meeting held on June 17 took up proactive counter-terror operations in the valley and measures to end infiltration from across the border.