Security tightened at Pathankot Air Force Station, shoot-on-sight in place

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Pathankot, June 9

Following intelligence inputs, security has been upped and shoot-on-sight orders put in place at the Air Force Station in Pathankot.

Posters mentioning shoot-on-sight orders have come up on the peripheral walls of the station. Also, the Army, Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police conducted a five-hour-long joint flag march in border villages to instill confidence among people.

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Senior police officials claimed that these measures were being taken to dispel any fears locals might have. However, sources said the security agencies had received “credible intelligence inputs” following which they had put up the posters.

An officer, on condition of anonymity, said, “We have received inputs and want to follow them up. This is no time to take chances. The last time the security was upped was when Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited the air base on June 4. The security apparatus since has not been downgraded; on the contrary, it has been beefed up. The vigil at the border, especially in 20 villages located near the zero line, has been increased.”

He said security agencies took out the flag march just to instill confidence among villagers. Simultaneously, they were also keeping an eye on shepherds living near the international border. The complicity of the tribe with terrorists could not be ruled out, he added.

Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kaushal, however, said the flag march was routine. “On Thursday morning, I requested the Army and BSF to help us sensitise the area. Fifteen vehicles were pressed into service, which covered 20 villages identified as ‘most sensitive’. The operation was handled by Superintendent of Police (Operations) Hem Pushp Sharma, who has been especially posted at Narot Jaimal Singh police station for day-to-day surveillance of the border. His job is to coordinate with the BSF, Army, Intelligence and Jammu & Kashmir Police to prevent any terror attack,” he said.

The SSP confirmed that the air base authorities had put up posters proclaiming shoot-on-sight orders.

An officer said that under normal circumstances when a suspicious person tried to enter the premises, he was challenged by security agencies before being fired upon. “Now, after the issuance of the latest orders, intruders would not be challenged but immediately shot on sight,” he said.

A group of armed militants had entered the air base in a pre-dawn operation on January 2 from the rear side and shot dead seven security personnel before National Security Guard sharpshooters gunned them down. On July 27 last year, three terrorists had made their way into the Dinanagar police station and were neutralised by the Special Weapons and Tactics police team after a daylong gun battle.

The sprawling Pathankot air base spread over 16 square kilometres houses nearly 5,000 people.