GUJARAT:Mundra port has been put on high alert after Pakistan trained commandos entered the Gulf of Kutch and Kutch area through Harami Nala creek area. The coast guard alert says the commandos are trained for underwater attacks. The coast guard had received the input that has been shared with private companies to take safety measures.Security was beefed up at Kandla port on Thursday after intelligence inputs suggested that Pakistani “commandos” are likely to enter India through Kutch in Gujarat.
All ships have also been directed to take utmost security measures and maintain anti-terror watch. All ships and shipping agents have also been asked to remain vigilant against any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the nearest Indian Coast Guard station, marine police and port authorities.
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh had recently indicated that an “underwater wing” of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is training people to carry out attacks in India. He said all stakeholders in coastal security are ensuring that there is no intrusion from the sea.
“It is therefore directed to take utmost measures of security and prevent any untoward situation in Gujarat state. It is advised that all ships at Mundra Port take utmost security measures and maintain a vigilant watch,” the Adani statement says.
The alert comes in the backdrop of tension between India and Pakistan over the government’s decisions on Kashmir, including the end of special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, and belligerent statements from Pakistan over the past few weeks.
The alert has come just days before Ganesh Chaturthi, a major festival in the western region. Goa Police have also sounded an alert across the state and stepped up security arrangements ahead of the 10-day festival, which begins on September 2.
“Goa has been put on alert. With the state being a tourist destination, the possibility of a terror threat cannot be ruled out,” Deputy Inspector General of Police Paramaditya said. He, however, did not mention any specific terror threat input for the coastal state.