Air force bases in North India on high alert, intel warns of fidayeen attack by Jaish

NEW DELHI, Sep 25, 2019, India Today. All major Indian Air Force bases in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab have been put on high alert following intelligence inputs that Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad is planning a suicide attack on one of the air force bases in the region, reported the India Today.

Sources privy to the development told India Today TV, on condition of anonymity, that the suicide attack is likely to be carried out by a Jaish module comprising 10 terrorists.

As a precautionary measure, the Indian Air Force has alerted its airbases in Srinagar, Awantipur, Jammu, Pathankot, and Hindan (near Ghaziabad, UP). The air force has sounded an ‘orange alert’ and asked senior officers to review security arrangements at their respective locations.

This comes after Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh wrote to the central government that Pakistan has been trying to airdrop weapons, including grenades, in the border areas of Punjab.

Speaking about the Captain Amarinder Singh’s letter, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today said, “Whatever be the challenges to national security, our jawans are capable of combating and defeating them, be it the Army, the Air Force or the Navy.”

Meanwhile, according to intelligence sources, Jaish-e-Mohammad is trying to use its cadres who are reportedly stationed close to the India-Pakistan border. “They would probably move to the Dhangu-Pathankot region in Punjab to collect money through wireless transfer. A part of this group could also be located in Jammu and Kahsmir,” sources told India Today TV.

Intelligence sources also said Jaish is trying to revive new camps in Chamm, Dudhnial, Chirikot and Athmuqam regions of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), besides activating camps in Loser, Durmat and Taubat, which is opposite to the Indian side in Gurez.

Sources said that communication intercepts have revealed that Jaish is planning another Uri-style terror attack on a vital military installation, besides also mulling on creating a hostage situation in military camps in J&K.