Srinagar/New Delhi: With terrorists repeatedly targeting telecom facilities in Kashmir, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Tuesday directed police to ensure security of cellular towers and those manning them as some employees and franchises have stopped work following attacks and threats.
Concerned over the series of attacks on mobile phone towers in the Valley, the Centre also issued an advisory to the state government, asking it to ensure security of communication infrastructure and come out with an action plan to deal with terrorist threat.
The Union Home Ministry asked the state government to urgently review the security situation in the wake several attacks on mobile towers and killing of people connected with the communication networks.
The state government has started the exercise to identify vulnerable towers and the state police has conveyed that it is in the process of providing security to some of the vulnerable towers, mostly located in Sopore and Bandipora, official sources said in New Delhi.
State police has assured the Union Home Ministry that if need be, police will run these vulnerable towers, they said.
The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India have written to the Union Home Ministry as well as the state government seeking urgent intervention, saying that some employees, retailers and franchises have stopped work following terrorist attacks and threats.
In the wake of the series of attacks, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Tuesday held a meeting with senior civil and police officers in Srinagar to discuss the situation and directed police to provide security to mobile towers and their owners and thwart any attempt to disrupt cellular services in the Valley.
The meeting came a day after terrorists targeted a mobile phone tower with a grenade in a downtown area of Srinagar, in yet another incident that led to disruption in communication services in the valley.
The terrorists have targeted telecom facilities in north Kashmir over the last 10 days.
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