North Kashmir: Posters banning cell phones appear in Sopore

Posters asking for a ban on cell phone use have appeared at a few places in North Kashmir's Sopore district. The poster written on a letter head of a little known organisation Laskar e-Islam has asked telecom operators to stop working in the area.

Posters asking for a ban on cell phone use have appeared at a few places in North Kashmir's Sopore district. The poster written on a letter head of a little known organisation Laskar e-Islam has asked telecom operators to stop working in the area.

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According to residents of Sopore, the telecom operators have temporarily shut their offices. The threatening posters have asked mobile companies to close down operations in the area. The organisation has asked the companies to dismantle their mobile towers. Even the shops offering recharge for pre-paid connections have been asked to shut down.

The posters have caused fear among the users as people restraint from using cell phones in public places.

"We can't even get our pre-paid cells recharged," said a resident who did not want to be named.

According to sources, a few masked men raided some stores of mobile companies inquiring about some equipment installed on a cellular tower at Badambagh in Sopore.

The cellphone tower was being reportedly used by militants for communication in north Kashmir's Sopore town.

The device was located by a staff member of a mobile phone company who had gone to refill diesel in the power generator at one of the company's towers.

The staff members discovered a device at the transmitting tower which was not installed by the company. They removed the device and informed police.

Militants had reportedly threatened mobile companies after the incident. Police, however, rubbish the appearance of the posters as mischief.

"It appears to be mischief of some local boys as we have never heard about the Lashkar-e-Islam group," said Inspector General of Kashmir Police Javeed Gillani.

"We are investigating the matter and will reveal the facts soon," he added.