10 terrorists who planned to attack Somnath temple on Mahashivratri traced, 3 killed

Officials have tracked down all the ten LeT and JeM terrorists and a massive search operation in on for the rest of the seven.

New Delhi: Security agencies have killed three out of 10 suspected Pakistani terrorists who had entered India via Gujarat to carry out terror attacks during Maha Shivaratri festivities, a report said on Tuesday.

Officials tracked down all the 10 suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists. While three terrorists have been neutralised, a massive search operation is on to hunt down the rest, as per CNN IBN.

Important monuments and pilgrimage centers like Somanth temple, Dwarka Temple, Akashardham Temple, power plants, dams like Sardar Sarovar Dam and security establishments were put on high alert after intelligence inputs reported the entry of the said terrorists.  

In view of the inputs, Gujarat and the national capital were put on high alert and security was increased at vital installations, important buildings and crowded places at both the cities.

While a red alert was issued across Gujarat, Delhi Police had heightened its vigil near iconic buildings, military installations, prominent malls, hospitals, schools and colleges in the city.

Notably, the terror alerts were issued across the country after Pakistan’s National Security Advisor provided intelligence inputs on a possible 26/11-style fidayeen assault in India.  

Multiple cities including Delhi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Vijayawada, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad and Panaji were put of high alert.

Fears of an attack in Gujarat have been mounting over the last four months, sparked by the discovery of five abandoned fishing boats in Harami Nullah, a channel that snakes along the India-Pakistan border before emptying into the Vianbari Creek. The fifth boat was discovered by the Border Security Force (BSF) just last month. 

Earlier in the day, the government had said that Intelligence agencies detect sleeper cells of terrorist outfits from time to time.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary also told the Lok Sabha that there was close and effective coordination between intelligence and security agencies in New Delhi and in states.

This coordination was aimed at detecting and neutralising "terror activities including terror modules of different outfits", the minister said in a written statement.