CHANDIGARH/LAHORE:After the Pakistan government issued an alert of possible suicide attack on the Attari-Wagah border on August 15, the Punjab Police and BSF have also put out similar alerts.
Sources said the Punjab intelligence wing has issued a terror alert to field officers concerned that there could be a possible suicide bomber attack on the Attari border between August 13 and 15 on the Independence Day parade and Beating Retreat ceremony. Earlier, central intelligence agencies had shared information of a possible attack with the State police.
It further stated that militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban besides other militant groups could target the border. The BSF had also issued a similar alert in this regard.
Inspector general of police (Border Zone) N K Arora along with senior officers took stock of the situation and visited the forward areas. More police personnel have been deployed in the area. Police patrolling has been increased and more nakas have been set-up for checking.
“Security has been tightened in the area and we are keeping a strict vigil on any movement of suspicious persons,” said A K Mittal, DIG (Border Range). The BSF has deployed more personnel to keep a strict vigil during the evening retreat ceremony and stepped up security in the area. “We have increased security vigil in the area and more personnel have been deployed. We have also intensified checking of people visiting the daily ceremony,’’ said BSF inspector general of police (Punjab Frontier) Anil Paliwal.
Pakistan’s National Counter Terrorism Authority had on Tuesday issued an alert about a terror outfit’s plan to target the parade at Wagah border between August 13 and 15. In 2014, a blast took place after the evening retreat event on the Pakistani side, killing at least 60 Pakistani nationals. “Tehreek-i-Taliban’s Fazalullah group is planning to target the parade at Wagah Border in Lahore and Ganda Singh Border in Kasur on August 13, 14 or 15,” the security alert issued by the Pakistan agency said. The alert also said two suicide bombers have been sent to hit the targets. Police issued a separate alert saying at least 16 suicide attackers have entered the Punjab province in Pakistan.