Security beefed up in border districts

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Pathankot, December 29

Security has been beefed up in the run-up to New Year’s Day and the second anniversary of the Pathankot Air Force station attack.

All the three border police districts — Gurdaspur, Batala and Pathankot – have deployed troops at strategic points near the international border.

“Although no new infiltration inputs have been received from central agencies, the police are pulling out all the stops to ensure that an encore does not happen,” said Surinder Pal Singh Parmar, IG (Border). Senior officers said that the IG was personally monitoring the situation.

Four militants had laid siege to the airbase on January 2 last year and had engaged Indian troops in a 24-hour-long gun battle before they were killed.

Pathankot SSP Vivek Sheel Soni said that in order to tide over the shortage of policemen, he had asked for additional troops as the training of 350 recruits is on at the PAP complex, Jalandhar.

“I have got one company from the PAP. These men have been deployed at strategic locations near the border. From tonight, special check posts too will be established. Vehicular traffic on the busy Pathankot-Jammu highway is being closely monitored. Emphasis is being laid on areas located near Bamial just near the 

border. Villagers have been asked to report any suspicious movement,” said the SSP.

Likewise, the Gurdaspur police have increased security in and around Kalanaur which has a border with Pakistan.

Batala SSP Opinderjit Singh Ghuman said that extra policemen had been deployed in Dera Baba Nanak —from where infiltration was suspected to have occurred a few months ago.