NEW DELHI: Based on intelligence input ahead of Republic Day celebrations the Border Security Force (BSF) has issued a security alert and asked its troopers deployed on borders with Pakistan in four states to keep an extra vigil for the next two weeks.
Officials in the border guarding force said the BSF has launched the special security drill “Operation Shard Hawa” and has asked its troops deployed along the borders of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat to remain on high alert.
The officials said, that every year around Republic Day, a special alert is sounded along the border for about 10 days. But this year due to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at the newly built Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, it has been issued for two weeks from January 16.
The officials said, in the input intelligence agency indicated six types of threats on the India-Pakistan border on January 26 this year.
They said that reports are also there that Pakistan Rangers and ISI are actively supporting infiltration bids by terrorists from ‘Masroor Bada Bhai’ - one of the launch pads used by Pak-based terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir.
According to intelligence reports, Pak-based terrorists are trying to send China-made weapons and drugs to the Indian side of the borders through pre-programmed drones in the frontier areas of Punjab and Rajasthan, the officials said, adding that the Pakistan Rangers and ISI are helping in this as well.
In view of these threats, security has been beefed up at the Attari Border, Kartarpur Corridor, and Hussainiwala Borders along the India-Pakistan border.
The BSF has also increased vigil along the course of rivers in the border areas of Jammu and Punjab.
Electronic surveillance has been enhanced to thwart any security breach or terror attack, the officials said.
The intelligence report further stated that before January 26, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists may infiltrate via Gujarat’s Sir Creek area. In view of this, the BSF has increased the frequency of patrolling by All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs).
