J&K Police may have missed following security SOPs ahead of JD Vance's India visit

At least 26 people were killed in Pahalgam on Tuesday

The Jammu and Kashmir Police may have missed vulnerability mapping of sensitive areas in Jammu and Kashmir, ahead of US Vice President JD Vance's four-day visit to India.

The vulnerability mapping is a crucial part of the SOPs that have been set after the deadly Chittisinghpora massacre that took place in Jammu and Kashmir in 2000, killing 35 Sikh males in a shocking terror attack.

A senior official of the security department was quoted by TOI, "No such vulnerability mapping was done for Vance's visit. Had it been done, at least a temporary picket would have been set up in tourist spots like Pahalgam, particularly Baisaran, that has been attracting a high number of tourists. Police presence would have been a deterrent and ensured quicker response even if the attack was attempted."

The claim comes in the aftermath of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that claimed at least 26 lives on Tuesday afternoon, after terrorists opened fire in the Kashmir Valley. Reports have said that Lashkar-e-Taiba was behind the terror attack.

The SOPs demand that before every visit by any top foreign dignitary, a vulnerability mapping exercise has to be carried out in Jammu and Kashmir. This has to be done to certain which areas are prone to attack. This may or may not include famous and crowded tourist spots.

In a bid to avoid any untoward incident, the areas identified as high-risk and prone to attacks are either temporarily restricted for the public or heavy police deployment is ordered for such areas, in order to protect the public from untoward incidents.

However, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have maintained that the SOPs are followed every time a foreign dignitary visits India.