Ahead of Barack Obama visit, Pakistan army to help terrorists sneak into India?
New Delhi: Planning to carry out a major strike during the visit of US President Barack Obama to India, Pakistan is believed to have moved a unit of its Special Services Group, a highly-trained special operations unit of the Pakistan Army, to help a Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed module to infiltrate into India.
Intelligence sources said the module was specifically tasked with hitting a ‘soft target’, possibly in the Jammu and Kathua region, similar to the attack on the Peshawar Army school. Security in the Jammu region and the Valley is, therefore, at an all-time high. With these fresh inputs, additional security personnel were deployed late Thursday evening along the Line of Control and the international border by the Army and BSF respectively.
The BSF has already foiled at least six infiltration attempts this month, including one on Thursday night, in the Samba sector. The modules, that intended to carry out strikes on the eve of Republic Day, were forced to retreat after heavy firing by the security forces.
Senior security officials said they had confirmed reports that a batch of 100-120 highly-trained SSG commandos were deployed close to the border to help push in a joint terror module of Lashkar and Jaish.
“The fact that the Pakistan Army has roped in the SSG for this infiltration bid goes to prove the kind of importance they attach to this particular module, so it means this is a highly trained lethal group of subversive elements. After this, adequate deployment has been made along the border,” a senior intelligence official said.
Intelligence sources said the leader of the group had been identified as Badabhai Masroor, and an alert warned that the group would try to enter through Shakargarh, Zafarwal and Darman sectors, where their launching pads are learnt to have been activated. This operation is being helped by ISI Col. Mansoor Khan, warns an IB report that was shared with the Union home ministry and all security agencies in the country.
Besides these developments on the border in the Valley, the intelligence agencies suspect some terror modules may target other cities as a diversionary tactic as most of the focus for the US President’s visit is on New Delhi and Agra.
The Intelligence Bureau issued a fresh alert Friday for Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar and Odisha, saying terror outfits could target religious places and shopping malls in these states.
Jaipur airport as alternative landing
Alternative arrangements for the landing of Obama’s plane will be in place at Sanganer airport here in case the plane is diverted due to bad weather or any other reason.
A team of security personnel arrived at the Airport on Friday to review arrangements and held discussions with the airport officials.
“There will be alternative arrangements for the landing of US President’s in case of a diversion,” a senior airport official said Friday.
