Monday, April 4 2005 22:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: With militant threats looming large, 23 Muzaffarabad-bound passengers were put under heavy security cover, three days before the launch of historic bus service across the Line of Control (LoC), as the Jammu and Kashmir Government today (Apr 4, 2005) conducted a dry run to assess security measures in place on the route.

Three passengers today purchased tickets for the journey at a special counter set up by the State Road Transport Corporation, official sources said.

Twenty-three of the 29 passengers, who are to travel on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, were lodged at the Tourist Reception Centre in Srinagar where security had been tightened.

Amidst tight security, they were whisked away to the Centre soon after their arrival in Srinagar from various parts of the State, the sources said.

Thirteen of these arrived from Jammu region - eight hailed from Rajouri, four from Poonch and one from Jammu.

Drivers and conductors of the bus had also been put under tight security cover, the sources said.

A dry run of the bus was conducted up to Kaman bridge, the last point on this side of the LoC where passengers will disembark and walk across the frontier to take another bus for Muzaffarabad.

The exercise will be repeated tomorrow, the sources said, adding it was aimed at assessing security measures put in place along the route in the face of militant threats.