Security forces on Monday conducted a cordon and search operation in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, reminiscing of the early nineties when such scenes were common.

According to reports, the area was sealed and people in large numbers including traders, students, shoppers and commuters were frisked.
Sources said security forces cordoned off the area between Hari Singh High Street, Amira Kadal and Court Road in the Civil Lines on Monday evening.
“All the people present in the area, including the ones who were onboard vehicles, were frisked and their identification cards were checked before allowing them to move forward,” they said.
Witnesses said people, mostly youths, were asked to stand in a queue from one end of Amira Kadal to another end, bringing back memories of 90s when such crackdowns were a normal routine.
They said it was not immediately clear whether the step was taken following information about the movement of militants or it was a random operation.
The security force official at the spot refused to answer any question about the motive behind holding this operation which was held after recent militant attacks in Srinagar, killing two personnel of Jammu and Kashmir police and injuring a hotel owner.
This operation in the heart of the city holds significance as it comes on a day when a majority tragedy was averted after security forces detected and defused a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted on the Pantha Chowk-Baramulla highway in Srinagar outskirts.
Earlier, two policemen were shot dead by suspected militants in Bhagat Barzulla area of Srinagar. The shooting was captured by a CCTV camera and the footage had gone viral on social media platforms.