High alert issued statewide following Kerala blast
Police officials said that the entire police force has been put on alert and concerned officials have been asked to remain extra vigilant to avert any trouble or defuse any law-and-order trouble.
In the wake of an IED (improvised explosive device) explosion in the southern state of Kerala on Sunday, Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) police have issued a high alert to all district police chiefs, urging them to enhance vigilance around densely populated areas and religious sites.
Police officials said that the entire police force has been put on alert and concerned officials have been asked to remain extra vigilant to avert any trouble or defuse any law-and-order trouble.
Earlier in the day, a woman was killed and more than 20 people were injured in an IED blast at the Zamra International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Kalamassery in Ernakulam district of Kerala. This incident occurred at approximately 9:30 am on Sunday during a Jehovah’s Witnesses prayer meeting. Central agencies have raised suspicions of this being a terrorist act, prompting the issuance of alerts throughout the country.
U.P. police special director general (Special DG), law and order, Prashant Kumar said all the districts will remain alerted in wake of the Kerala blast. He added that all the state security agencies and U.P. Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) will carry out their intelligence activities to keep watch on any possible terror activity in the state or operated from the state. He further said that the teams are busy investigating the intelligence input received in the past few days.
“Every program related to the Israel-Hamas conflict will also be monitored,” he added
The special DG said directions have been given to keep special surveillance in sensitive districts including Kanpur, Meerut, Saharanpur, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Moradabad, Aligarh, Lucknow, Hapur, Baghpat, Bareilly, Rampur and Varanasi.
Another senior police official said the district police chiefs have been asked to deploy police force strategically at sensitive and mixed population localities as well as sensitive worship places across different districts. Besides, the police officials are asked to maintain communication with community leaders to maintain peace and communal harmony, he added.
He further added all districts police chiefs have been asked to carry out foot patrolling and keep round the clock vigil on social media to counter any rumors during upcoming festivals.
