R-Day: North on terror alert

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 7

With the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) receiving an Intelligence input regarding a “possible aerial terror attack” on and around the Republic Day, the Centre has alerted the security agencies of northern states and directed them to follow “strict security drill”.

Sources in the MHA said a letter has been sent to the Director of General Police (DGPs) and the Police Commissioners of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

Asking them to keep a vigil on all airborne craft, a senior MHA official, in the letter, said the states had been asked to “keep surveillance and positioning of special security guards at recognised field to check that no light/micro light aircraft, hand glider and helicopters is allowed to fly or even starts on and around the Republic Day.”

“Operations of light, micro-light aircraft, UAVs and similar long-range vehicles should be prohibited around 300 km from Delhi between 6 am and 9 pm on January 26,” the letter stated. However, all state-owned aircraft, having prior security clearance, will be allowed to fly.

It has also been advised to prohibit airborne cameras and drones along sensitive locations such as Vijay Chowk, Rashtrapati Bhawan and Rajpath during the restriction period between January 26 and 29, sources said. The police have been asked to intensify highway patrolling as the aerial vehicles and light aircraft may not necessarily be operated from the airports, but from any other unprepared ground as well.

The state security agencies have also been instructed to keep a tight vigil on unused airstrips and open grounds which may allow operations of these aircraft.