Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: An alert was sounded across the country when intelligence agencies revealed a 9/11 type attack by Pak based terrorist organizations in the offing as India geared up for Republic day celebrations.
As per Home Ministry sources, LeT has acquired more than 50 paragliding equipments from Europe and is biding time to carry out an attack.
This intelligence input has set off alarm bells ringing
in the security apparatus in the country as this innocuous
sporting gear could become a lethal weapon in the hands of
banned LeT which carried out the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
The input which came barely days ahead of Republic Day
celebrations has prompted authorities to ensure a tight air
security around all vital installations, official sources said
here today.
The input about movement of overground workers, owing
allegiance to LeT, in Europe led the sleuths to find out that
they were on a shopping spree for para-gliding equipment, the
sources said.
The para-glider, a specially designed parachute attached
to the body of a person which creates a lift if posed against
air from opposite direction, could be launched from an
elevated surface like a hillock or sky-scrapper.
The para-glider can also be flown using a four-wheeler or
a high-speed boat.
"We have increased the surveillance besides mobilising
the security agencies to stop any such attempt by terrorists,"
a source said.
The input bears significance in view of the fact that
government has already put all Air India planes operating in
the country`s neighbourhood on high security alert following
intelligence reports from Western agencies that the LeT and
other terror groups were planning to hijack a flight.
Security agencies have carried out mock drills in
different areas in the country as part of the exercise to
prevent any air-borne suicide attack by LeT terrorists.
Radars located at strategic locations have been tuned to
intercept all low flying objects and authorities are not
taking any chances, sources said.
A no-flying zone is already in place in capital`s Luytens
zone which houses the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Prime Minister`s
Office and key ministries like Home, Defence, Finance,
External Affairs, among others.
Ahead of the Republic Day, elaborate air defence
measures, including deployment of anti-aircraft guns, have
also been taken to check possible intrusion of air space.
Besides, helicopters of the Indian Air Force will hover
over the areas around Rajpath and all along the route of the
Republic Day parade.
Earlier, intelligence reports suggested that Pakistan`s
Inter-Services Intelligence had directed the militants
operating in Jammu and Kashmir to use explosive-laden `Toy
Planes` to hit VIPs in the state and the national capital.
PTI
