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Raids in 25 places after ‘terror threat’ in Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi
Delhi Police’s special cell on Thursday conducted raids in at least 25 locations of the city after receiving inputs that some ‘suspicious men’ had entered the national capital’.
Police said they have questioned more than 50 people from different parts of the city. However, no one was detained or arrested till late Thursday evening.
“The raids were conducted in areas of New Usmanpur, Seelampur, Najafgarh, Jaffrabad and some nearby areas. We had received inputs that some outsiders had been spotted in these areas. These men are suspected to have links with some terror organizations. The input originated from Jammu and Kashmir. Our teams are on high alert and combing operations to nab these suspects are underway,” said a senior officer.
The officer, however, confirmed that no one has been arrested or detained on suspicion so far. “We have questioned more than 50 people,” he said.
Delhi police have also stepped up security in parts of the city, including the Delhi airport. Deputy commissioner of police, MS Randhawa, said that keeping the festive season in mind, they have taken appropriate measures to ensure public safety.
“We have significantly stepped up security in the city. Crowded places like markets, shopping malls and public transport systems are being kept under tight scrutiny to trace any suspicious activity. Round the clock presence of anti-terror Parakram vans, additional deployment of force and frequent patrolling have been ensured,” Randhawa said.
The alert was also issued in the capital in the wake of a threat letter received by Bureau of Civil Aviation and Security(BCAS) on September 10 from Jaish-e-Mohammad threatening to take “revenge for abrogation of Article 370 from Kashmir”. Officials confirmed that the letter, typed in Hindi, had been written by one Shamsher Wani of Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Following the letter, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has put Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport, along with as many as 30 airports in the country, on high alert. It is not clear when the airports were issued the alert.
A senior police officer said, the letter threatens “revenge for abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir by targeting Prime Minister, minister of home affairs and national security advisor”. Further, the letter also says that terror attacks will be carried out in as many as 30 cities, the officer said.
Following the alert, the Central Industrial Security Force has also made changes in security pattern of the Delhi airport. “Armed plainclothesmen are deployed inside terminals, dog squads and bomb detection teams are being used to sanitise every corner of the airport, including parking and forecourt areas. Additional pickets have been raised to check every vehicle entering the airport and men have been posted on watchtowers to keep an eye on the airside,” said a senior CISF officer.
The officer said that similar measures have been put in place by the CISF at other “hypersensitive” airports across the country.
