The national capital was on high alert yesterday following intelligence that militants could have crossed over from Pakistan, news reports and officials said.
Intelligence agencies warned that 10 militants, who entered Gujarat, had later sneaked into Delhi, NDTV network reported.
The militants were plotting a major strike on shopping malls, markets or military installations, and police were directed to enhance security arrangements, the report said.
“We are always maintaining an extra alert ... adequate arrangements are in place,” Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said, refusing to give further details.
NDTV reported that the militants likely belonged to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) or Jaish-e-Mohamed outfits, and had also planned attacks in Gujarat during the Hindu festival of Mahashivratri, which falls today. Search operations were being conducted, and commando units were dispatched to the state.
Security has been strengthened at all major installations in the coastal state, the state police director-general said.
“A team of NSG (National Security Guard) arrived in Gujarat last night following the terror alert. The state has been put on high alert,” P C Thakur said.
TV footage showed security men frisking visitors outside hotels, cinema and malls.
In a notification issued by the Gujarat home department, all top police chiefs were asked to return to duty immediately and report any suspicious activity.
Thakur said central authorities feared that the militants may have infiltrated through Kutch district, which has a land and sea border with Pakistan.
The government was galvanised into action to step up security across Gujarat, especially the coastal borders with Pakistan, after a note sent by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
The NSA’s note came after Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Nasir Janjua phoned him and said 10 militants from the two Pakistan-based outfits have entered Gujarat, according to official sources.
Authorities at the Somnath Temple in Prabhas Patan near Veraval in Saurashtra said all cultural programmes to be held today have been cancelled.
Somnath Temple Trust’s general manager Vijay Chavda said a ‘nrityotsava’ (dance festival), scheduled for yesterday evening and ‘Ras-Garba’ and ‘Dayra’ programmes today were cancelled.
The Mahashivratri at the Somnath Temple every year sees a massive gathering of devotees from across the country and the world.
Chavda said elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure uninterrupted ‘darshan’ by the pilgrims on Mahashivratri.
Besides, Dwarka and Akshardham temples in Gandhinagar, which had come under terrorist attack on September 24, 2002, power plants, dams, defence and security establishments have been put on alert.
Officials said police stations in the state have been asked to carry out combing operations in hotels and guest houses. Forces have been moved around shopping and cinema halls and bus stands.
Besides Kutch district heavy patrolling and checking has begun along Gujarat’s border with Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The central agencies are investigating the discovery of five abandoned fishing boats near Sir Creek on the Kutch coast over the last three months, including one found by a Border Security Force patrol on Friday.
The boat found on Friday is 20ft long and 10ft wide. Some rations, water jugs, fishing nets, crabs, diesel and mattresses were found on board.
India blames LeT for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. Pakistan’s government has announced a ban on LeT but a number of its leaders, including Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, remain free.
Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was also rocked by a series of bombings in 2008 which killed at least 45 people.
In 2002 the state was torn by religious riots which killed more than 1,000 people, most of them Muslims.