G20 meet in Srinagar: How a possible 26/11-type terror attack was exposed

Jammu and Kashmir has turned into a security fortress, as it hosts the third Tourism Working Group meeting of G20 (Group of 20) nations in Srinagar. The three-day conference, starting today, is the first big international event to be organised in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

Marine commandos and the National Security Guard (NSG) have been deployed in the region. But security has been further tightened after a 26/11-type terror attack was reportedly exposed following revelations by a detained overground worker (OGW). OGWs provide terrorists with logistical support, cash, and shelter, among other things to carry out their operations.

Also read: Which countries are skipping the G20 meet in Kashmir?

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A 26/11-like attack foiled?

Terrorist organisations had conspired to attack Gulmarg during the G20 event at the behest of Pakistan’s spy agency, the Inter-Service Intelligence, according to a report by India Today. The OGW working in a plush hotel reportedly divulged details about the planned terror strike similar to the attacks in Mumbai on 26 November 2008.

The revelations were made by Farooq Ahmad Wani, who was arrested by security forces in the last week of April as part of the crackdown in the run-up to the G20 meeting. He was held in a joint operation by the army and the Jammu and Kashmir police in Sopore and was associated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM), according to a report by ANI. A hand grenade and incriminating evidence were recovered from Wani, the police had said in April.

Wani, who is a resident of Haigam Sopore in Baramulla, worked as a driver at a famous Gulmarg hotel. He was reportedly associated with terror organisations and was in contact with ISI officials, reports India Today.

During questioning, he confessed to a terror plot to storm into the hotel and target foreign dignitaries similar to the siege at Mumbai’s Taj Hotel during the 26/11 attacks. A plan was reportedly being hatched to carry out a series of attacks, targeting two or three places during the G20 meeting in Kashmir, the report says.

No Gulmarg visit

There have been last-minute changes to the itinerary of the Tourism Working Group conference. Foreign delegates will no longer visit Gulmarg, which was one of the highlights of the visit.

However, there has been no official statement on the possible terror attack. The north Kashmir ski resort will not figure in the delegates’ itinerary due to a “smaller number of participants” and “logistics issues,” Union Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh said in New Delhi on Friday, May 19.

The J&K administration had spruced up the 51-km road from Srinagar city to Gulmarg, where the international delegates were expected to take a gondola ride to Mount Apharwat. However, it has not remarked on the change in itinerary.

There has been a rise in militant activities in recent weeks in the north Kashmir region, where Gulmarg is located. Earlier in the month, four militants were killed in two encounters in the Kupwara and Baramulla districts.

Some schools in J&K will also remain closed until the G20 event is over, as intelligence agencies also warned of a possible terror strike targeting them, reports The Wire.

Apart from Gulmarg, the scheduled visit to the Dachigam National Park, Srinagar has also been cancelled. The visit to the park, which is famous for Kashmiri stag hangul, was cancelled “because of space issues”, a senior government official told The Hindu. Security agencies were concerned about the safety of around 200 guests during the tour of the forest area, which witnessed an encounter with JeM militants in July 2021.

Instead, organisers will showcase the Polo View Market, the Valley’s first pedestrian-only bazaar thrown open with multi-facilities recently, under the ongoing ₹980-crore Srinagar Smart City project, to the delegates, the report says.

The change in the itinerary of delegates has been made following the advice of security agencies.

Tight security blanket

Amid a security scare, Marines and NSG commandos are on high alert in the region. Marcos is responsible for the security of Dal Lake, around the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), the venue for the G20 meeting. NSG commandos have been conducting area domination exercises along with police and paramilitary forces, reports NDTV.

The army, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) are also on the watch out amid reports of a possible plot by terrorists to thwart the G20 meeting. CCTV surveillance and an anti-drone system are in place.

The Jammu and Kashmir police have issued an advisory against some international mobile numbers for spreading rumours about the meeting after locals complained about receiving calls asking them to disrupt the event.

“Numerous individuals reported receiving automated calls on their phones urging them to block the Srinagar International Airport and halt the G20 summit. We have taken cognisance and registered FIR and also issued an advisory to the people,” a police spokesperson said.

Around 60 delegates from G20 member countries are attending the meeting with the highest number coming from Singapore. Delegates from special invitee countries are also present.

However, some nations have decided to stay away. China has opposed the meeting in Kashmir. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt are also likely to skip.

“China firmly opposes holding G20 meetings in any form in disputed areas and will not attend such meetings,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Friday. However, India countered it by saying it was free to hold meetings on its territory.

With a security blanket, Srinagar has received a facelift and is ready to host the event. It will see the highest participation of foreign delegates as compared to the two previous meetings, said G20 Chief Coordinator Harshvardhan Shringla Sunday.

India is halfway through its G20 presidency and so far 118 meetings have been held across the country.

With inputs from agencies

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