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Ahead of G20 meets, army schools shut till May 20 in Jammu, Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua & Samba
Over a dozen Army public schools in Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts were closed as a precautionary measure ahead of G20 summit meets. The move comes amid search operations to track terrorists responsible for recent attacks that left 10 soldiers dead.
Amid search operations in Poonch and Rajouri districts to track terrorists responsible for April 20 and May 5 attacks that left 10 soldiers dead, over a dozen Army public schools in Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts were closed on Wednesday as a precautionary measure in the wake of G20 summit meets.
“Parents were asked by the school authorities via WhatsApp groups to pick their children at 12 noon. They were further told that from Thursday onwards online classes shall be conducted till May 20,” said an Army official.
It may be stated here that a high alert has already been declared in and around Army installations along the Jammu-Pathankot national highway in view of the G20 summit meets, which shall take place from May 22 to 24.
Since April 20 ambush at Tota Gali in Poonch and May 5 attack in Kandi forests of Rajouri, Army and other security forces have been put on a high alert to pre-empt any possible terror attack in Jammu region.
“While two army public schools in Rajouri — Valley View Public School and Goodwill Public School — were shut since May 8, other Army schools were shut at 12 noon on Wednesday. The school authorities have been asked to shift to online classes till May 20 and then summer holidays will begin,” said an Army official.
Another official from Samba Brigade confided to HT that Army public schools were also closed on Wednesday in Kathua and Samba districts as a precautionary measure.
On Wednesday morning, the Army along with police and paramilitary forces launched searches in Purani Poonch and localities near deputy commissioner’s office in the border town.
Two private schools in the area were also closed as a precautionary measure. Acting on the information, security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Khakha Nawan, Purani Poonch and Jernally Mohalla of Poonch.
On Monday night, panic gripped Dhangri villagers after two unidentified men with back-packs entered the stairs of a house where they asked a woman Jayanti to keep their bags for some time.
The scared woman raised an alarm prompting the men to flee from the spot.
Dhangri is the same village where seven Hindus were killed by terrorists in two attacks on January 1 and 2.
