JAMMU, India-controlled Kashmir, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Kashmiris went to polling stations to poll in the Indian general elections in Jammu, the winter capital of India-controlled Kashmir, Thursday amid tight security arrangements.

    Voters were seen waiting in queues outside many polling stations established in the city and outskirts, where polling stations were placed under tight security cover since Wednesday to ensure security of election staff and voters in the region in view of the terror threat.

    Indian police and paramilitary troopers are deployed in the city and villages close to line-of-control to thwart any untoward incident, an Indian police official said.

    Check points have been established at various places on the roads in and outside the Jammu city as a precautionary measure.

    An official told Xinhua that peaceful polling was going on in the entire constituency and no violence has been reported so far.

    Of the total six seats in India-controlled Kashmir, only Jammu segment is going to poll on Thursday. Voting in five others seats would take place in the remaining four phases.

    Indian Home Ministry said earlier that militants would try to disrupt the polling in the India-controlled Kashmir.

    Separatists in Indian-controlled Kashmir have urged to boycott election in the region.

    In the 2008 regional elections in the region recorded 60 percent turnout despite a boycott was called by the separatists.

    A known separatist Muslim leader Sajjad Lone last week announced his decision to contest the Indian general elections in the region.