Security beefed up in Srinagar

Security arrangements were tightened across the state on the eve of Republic Day on Saturday. In the summer capital, barricades and security checkpoints were set up at various places, and security personnel could be seen frisking pedestrians and vehicles at various points across the Valley.

Security arrangements were tightened across the state on the eve of Republic Day on Saturday.

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In the summer capital, barricades and security checkpoints were set up at various places, and security personnel could be seen frisking pedestrians and vehicles at various points across the Valley.

Authorities said vigil had been stepped up to ensure safety and avoid any disruption during the celebrations on Sunday.

The parade venue Bakhshi Stadium, where the flag-hoisting ceremony is scheduled to be held, has been "sanitised". Security arrangements have been made along the roads leading to the stadium.

Snipers have been deployed on the high-rise buildings near the stadium and CCTV cameras installed at all sensitive locations in the city. In the past, militants have used high-rise buildings around the stadium to attack the venue.

Kashmir inspector general of police AG Mir said there was no specific threat or input of threat from any militant organisation, but security was tightened in view of the "general threat on Republic Day".

"There is no heightened threat from any militant group, but Republic Day celebrations have always been on the militant radar, so we have taken measures to ensure that the day passes peacefully," he said.

All separatist leaders, including the Hurriyat factions headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front' Muhammad Yasin Malik have called for a complete shutdown on January 26 as a mark of protest.