On her maiden visit to embattled Jammu and Kashmir after the imposition of Governor’s rule, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday reviewed the security situation at a high level meeting in Srinagar attended by Governor NN Vohra and Army chief General Bipin Rawat. The meeting took place ahead of the beginning of annual Amarnath yatra and a possible renewed offensive against militancy in the State.

The separatists had called for a daylong shutdown in the Valley against the “spree of civilian killings” even as the top separatist leaders were detained or restricted to the confines of their homes. Sitharaman arrived here on Monday morning for a daylong visit. Before landing in capital Srinagar she went for aerial reconnaissance of the routes leading to holy Amarnath cave from Baltal and Pahalgam axes.

An official spokesman said that Sitharaman reviewed the security framework put in place by the security forces for the Amarnath yatra and stressed that all security forces must act with complete synergy to achieve effective security on the ground. Later after landing in Srinagar she held a top-level security meeting at Raj Bhawan along-with Governor NN Vohra.

Courtesy: The Pioneer, Tuesday, 26 June 2018 | Khursheed Wani | Srinagar