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Srinagar: Forces on Saturday launched massive searches of vehicles and frisking of pedestrians in summer capital, Srinagar, where militants of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) hurled a hand grenade towards a CRPF picket in the civil lines on Friday evening.

Despite chilly weather condition due to fresh snowfall, security forces were removing windows of three-wheelers as a precautionary measure.

Militants lobbed a hand grenade towards a CRPC picket at Lal Chowk on Friday evening. However, the grenade missed the intended target and exploded at a distance without causing any damage. Later forces conducted search operation in the civil lines but the militants managed to escape.

Later, JeM outfit claimed responsibility for the attack, first in 2019 in Srinagar.

We have directions to conduct random searches of vehicles, particularly three wheelers and vehicles coming from south, forces said at Budshah Chowk in the heart of the city.

Forces were thoroughly checking passenger and private vehicles. All those passengers were also being frisked and their identity cards checked before allowing them to board the vehicles again. Similar check points were also established at other places in and around the city.

Vehicles coming from south Kashmir which has witnessed encounter and clashes in 2018, were being searched properly to foil any attempt by militant to smuggle in arms and ammunition into city.

Forces were also seen searching three wheelers and removing their windows. They said it was necessary for security reasons to foil militant movement.

However, the three wheeler drivers protested and said how is it possible to ply without windows when it is chilly weather conditions.

Passengers too were equally agitated and said this is nothing but to punish people. Children and women travelling in three wheelers are most hit, they said.