Srinagar, 17 June

 Several parks in Jammu and Kashmir's tourist places, including some in Pahalgam, that were closed in the aftermath of the 22 April terror   attack were reopened on Tuesday, officials said.

The reopening of the parks has been welcomed by the tourists and local visitors alike who thronged the parks at several places.

Security personnel were deployed in strength around the parks to secure the areas and create a sense of security, they said.

26 people, most of them tourists, were killed by terrorists in Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam, a popular tourist spot.

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday ordered the reopening of 16 parks, eight each in Jammu region and Kashmir Valley. He said the destinations would be reopened in a phased manner.

In the first phase, eight parks were reopened in the Kashmir valley.

Betaab Valley in Pahalgam and the parks near Pahalgam market, Verinag, Kokernag and Achabal gardens in Anantnag district, Badamwari Park, Duck Park near Nigeen, and Taqdeer Park near Hazratbal in Srinagar were reopened on Tuesday.

Similarly, eight destinations were reopened in Jammu region as well including Sarthal and Dhaggar in Kathua, Devipindi, Siyad Baba and Sula Park in Reasi, Guldanda and Jai Valley in Doda, and Pancheri in Udhampur.

A large number of school children welcomed the tourists at Verinag, a famous park in south Kashmir's Anantnag, the officials said.

"We were already feeling good and happy to have come here, but the reopening of the park and the welcome we got is very nice," a tourist from Patiali, Punjab, told PTI videos.

"We are happy that this park opened after so many days. We have come here with our families and we will visit the park to show them beautiful Kashmir," Barkat Ali, a tourist from Bikaner area of Rajasthan, said.

"It is a wonderful feeling and experience. We heard that the park was reopening today, so we came. But, the welcome we got is truly the best experience which we cannot express in words," another tourist from Punjab said. They appealed the tourists to come to Kashmir in large numbers.

Tourist police personnel were also deployed to assist the visitors. Local MLA Ghulam Ahmad Mir also welcomed the reopening of the park.