Amid tight security, Amit Shah begins his three-day visit to Jammu & Kashmir

Srinagar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has arrived in Srinagar today (October 23) for his three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. This is Shah's first since the revocation of Article 370, and during this visit, he will review the security situation in the valley. Shah was received at the Srinagar airport by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha where other senior officials of the Jammu and Kashmir administration were also present, officials said.

The Home Minister is scheduled to chair a high-level security review meeting later in the day and will also inaugurate the first direct international flight between Srinagar and Sharjah in UAE. He is also likely to interact with members of a youth club in Srinagar. This is Shah's first visit to Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir state into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019.

Security was beefed up across Kashmir ahead of Shah's visit to the valley. Additional deployment of security forces has been made across the valley, the officials said. They said the security apparatus has been beefed up, especially in the city.

The visit comes at a time when the Valley has been rocked by a spate of civilian killings by terrorists. Ahead of Home Minister's visit to the union territory, several traffic restrictions were imposed in Srinagar including those driving two-wheelers subjected to intensive security checks. In addition, a total of 50 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) teams have been deployed to Jammu and Kashmir for security purposes.

Official sources said 50 companies of additional paramilitary forces are being inducted into the valley in the wake of the recent spate of civilian killings. Bunkers manned by CRPF forces have come up in several areas of the city as well in other parts of the Kashmir valley, the officials said.