Top Kashmir leaders placed under house arrest as tension escalates, restrictions imposed

Reports said mobile internet has been suspended across the state while restrictions under Section 144 CrPC has been imposed. 

A media report quoting the state government said: "There will be a complete bar on holding any kind of public meetings or rallies during the period of operation of this order. It should be noted that there will be no curfew in place as reported in a section of the media."

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted: "I believe I’m being placed under house arrest from midnight tonight & the process has already started for other mainstream leaders. No way of knowing if this is true but if it is then I’ll see all of you on the other side of whatever is in store. Allah save us."

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti tweeted: "Hope those who accused us of rumour mongering realise that our fears weren’t misplaced. Leaders under house arrest, broadband services suspended & section 144 enforced isn’t normal by any standard."

"Those who’re celebrating the situation here are ignorant about the far reaching consequences of any unilateral action that’ll taken by GOI," she posted.

Sajad Lone of Peoples Conference tweeted: "Detained yet again. first detained in Delhi. Then in Sringar in 1990. Those detention centres were very harsh. Our workers r being sought by the police. My prayers with them. And hope they stay calm."

"It is imperative that we stay calm. Violence has cost us thousands of lives. If we disagree— there r many ways to express dissent. Nothing is irreversible. And nothing is permanent. Justice will prevail," he wrote.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday chaired a 'high level' meeting with Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on the Kashmir issue in the Parliament complex here.

The meeting was also attended by Intelligence Bureau Chief Arvind Kumar, RAW chief Samant Kumar Goel and senior Home Ministry officials.

"The Government is reviewing the security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir as terror threats are looming over the Amarnath Yatra," an official in the Home Ministry told UNI.

The evacuation of the Amarnath Yatris and tourists from the valley is a major challenge for the Government as of now, the official said.

Shah is likely to visit Kashmir after the current Parliament Session is over.

Intelligence agencies have also alerted the Government and security agencies that a large number of militants are waiting at launchpad across the border to sneak into Indian territory.
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The Indian Army foiled the Pakistan Army’s infiltration attempt on the intervening night of July 31-Aug 1 in Keran Sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indian soldiers foiled the attempt by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT),  inflicting heavy causalities on the infiltrating terrorists and BAT personnel.

The encounter left at least four  killed while they were trying to infiltrate into India and strike a forward post in the Keran sector, sources told IBNS.

Intelligence sources earlier told IBNS that a Pakistan emboldened by the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to the United States, has reactivated its terror launch pads against India in the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) with plans to trigger something big in Kashmir.

"Terror launch pads in PoK, which were dismantled and pushed back to interior, have now been reactivated," sources told IBNS.

According to Indian sources, Jaish-e-Mohammad chief  Masood Azhar's brother Ibrahim Azhar had been relocated to PoK to oversee the affairs.