Republic Day: India put on 'very' high alert

High alert has been sounded in Jammu and Kashmir's temple town Katra ahead of Republic Day, security tightened around Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.

New Delhi, Jan 25: A high alert has been sounded in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of Republic Day. Intelligence Bureau officials issued the 'Grade A' alert and instructed security agencies to prioritise it as 'very high.'

Security around Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine has been tightened following this alert. There is also high security in Jammu and Kashmir's temple town Katra. Other parts of the state too have been placed under 'very' high alert.

IB officials said that the threat perception in Jammu and Kashmir in particular is very high. While the alerts issued for other parts of the country are general in nature, the one for the Valley is very specific.

J&K: High alert has been sounded in Katra ahead of #RepublicDay, security tightened around Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. pic.twitter.com/uOpVdvBzES

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 25, 2017

There is specific intelligence that terrorists groups such as the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Lashkar-e-Tayiba will look to target the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine. There is also an alert that these groups may try and disrupt Replublic Day celebrations.

Meanwhile, a high alert has also been sounded in the border areas of the state as it is suspected that some militants may slip out to target the National Capital.

Recently, a video of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and the Hizbul Mujahideen surfaced in which the operatives are heard discussing attacks beyond Kashmir. The video suggests that the two groups are planning strikes in the national capital as well.

OneIndia News