The officials heaved a sigh of relief as no untoward incident was reported from any part of the State on Friday and the RD celebrations passed off peacefully.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir particularly restive Kashmir Valley was wrapped in unprecedented security blanket on Friday amid speculation that separatist militants may carry out a major terror strike on Republic Day.

Earlier a report had suggested that a woman ‘suicide bomber’ from Maharashtra has entered the Valley and was planning to strike against an official RD function.

However, the suspect bomber was along with an accomplice detained by the police on Thursday night and the investigation is underway. Confirming it, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range), Munir Ahmed Khan, said, “We had had inputs that a lady who could be a suicide bomber has entered the Valley. Fortunately, after working on all the leads available to us, we were able to apprehend her yesterday (Thursday) evening.”

He said, “We will talk to her, we will talk to sister agencies. We will be covering every other lead to know what the facts are. Only after proper investigation we will be able to come to any conclusion”. When pressed further and asked if the detained woman had planned suicide bombing in the Valley, the IGP said, “It is yet to be ascertained and verified whether she is a suicide bomber or not.” He added that it would take a couple of days to know the truth.

The police sources identified the suspect bomber as 18-year-old Sadiya Sheikh from Pune. IGP Khan’s office had, a couple of days before the RD, circulated a message to all district police heads and chief of security wing in Kashmir that there was  “a strong input”  that an 18-year-old non-Kashmiri woman might “cause a suicide bomb explosion” near or inside the RD parade in the Valley.

The officials heaved a sigh of relief as no untoward incident was reported from any part of the State on Friday and the RD celebrations passed off peacefully.

They shrugged a few stone pelting incidents reported from summer capital Srinagar off and said “it was a routine occurrence.”

The day also witnessed a complete shutdown in the Valley in response to calls issued by various separatist organisations.