Amarnath Jatra: Warning key to deal with sticky bombs, CRPF says

CRPF personnel, who will be deployed for the Amarnath journey to Jammu and Kashmir, are being sensitized to the threat posed by the “sticky bomb”, a senior official said on Wednesday, adding that vigilance was the best way to deal with the problem. .

In the first such seizure in February last year, the Border Security Force (BSF) confiscated a consignment dropped from a drone along the international border in Samba district that contained 14 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including a built-in magnet.

They can be used as “sticky bombs” by being stuck in vehicles and controlled using a timer and remotely placed devices.

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Deputy Inspector General, Hiranagar Range, Devendra Yadav said caution was key to dealing with the “sticky bomb” threat.

“There is no way to deal with the problem without caution. In our area of ​​responsibility, security deployments will be alerted and troopers will be sensitized about the threat, “he told reporters after the inauguration of the CRPF unit’s inter-battalion weightlifting competition here.

The 43-day pilgrimage to the Himalayan Temple is scheduled to begin on June 30 on the twin route – the traditional 48-km Nunwan in Pahalgam in south Kashmir and the 14-km short Baltal in Ganderbal in central Kashmir – after two breaks. Years due to the Kovid epidemic.

Security alerts have thwarted several more attempts by terrorists to carry out attacks over the past year, the last of which was the timely detection of an IED on the Sidhara bypass on the outskirts of Jammu on April 26. .

Earlier, in August and September last year, four IEDs each planted with sticky bombs were seized from Punch district.

The CRPF officer said that security arrangements were being made for the Amarnath Jatra and all agencies were playing their role. “Like last year, we will ensure a successful completion of the journey,” Yadav said.