The city has been on a terror alert since Monday, following an advisory received from the Union Home Ministry on a possible terror strike by three men travelling in an explosive-laden car from the Punjab border towards Delhi, Mumbai and Goa.
Senior Maharashtra officials said this was the sixth such alert received by them since suspected Pakistani terrorists attacked the Pathankot Indian Air Force base and killed seven security personnel on January 2.
Informed sources, however, clarified that there was no specific alert received from the Home Ministry on Wednesday, as was being widely reported by a section of the media.
Following the advisory, which also provided a possible car number and registration details, security was beefed up at vital installations in the city, sources in the Mumbai police said. It was, however, unclear from where exactly the vehicle would enter Maharashtra.
“We had even informed field officials of the colour of the car, but it was unclear if the vehicle was likely changed on the way by the suspected terrorists. This is the sixth such alert we have received since the attack on the Pathankot air base. It specifies that targets could be in Delhi, Goa and Mumbai but does not give us any further details,” said a senior official of the State security establishment.
Unconfirmed reports on Wednesday quoted from an advisory that three Pakistani terrorists or suicide bombers may have entered India through the Punjab border.
It asked the police to undertake strict checking of vehicles, vital installations, defence establishment, religious places, crowded places, malls, marketplace and railway stations. The alerts have become frequent since the Pakistan National Security Adviser shared vital information with NSA Ajit Doval on the possible infiltration of 10 terrorists from the Pakistani side. It was believed that the Somnath temple in Gujarat was the prime target.
High alert
Punjab, which has witnessed two terror attacks in less than six months, was put on high alert on Wednesday following an input from the Delhi police warning about the entry of three heavily armed Pakistani terrorists who might be suicide bombers. “The terrorists are travelling from Jammu and Kashmir in a grey Swift Dzire car along with a local resident and are expected to cross the Banihal tunnel later tonight,” the alert says.
[Source:- The Hindu]
