Ahead of festival season, Delhi under high security following terror alert

New Delhi: Delhi has been put on a high alert against any possible terror attack that can be in the form of a bomb blast or suicide attack. With the ongoing festival of Navratri and ahead of Durga Puja, the National Capital has been put under tight security cover. Besides, regular police force, teams of SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) commandos have been deployed at high footfall locations. [caption id=“attachment_3013812” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AP[/caption] According to Delhi Police sources, the Special Cell—anti-terror unit issued an alert in the last week of September of a possible terror attack at high-value targets and vulnerable places with high footfalls. It’s believed that the alert was issued following the surgical strike by the Indian Army at the Line of Control. Keeping with the series of festivals to be celebrated from Durga Puja to Diwali and Chhat Puja to Muharram in October, local intelligence and preventive and precautionary measures have been beefed up across Delhi. “Based on inputs received by the special cell on a possible armed attack, fidayeen (suicide) attack and bomb blast on high-value targets including vulnerable ones, the alert was issued and security measures have been beefed up in the Delhi-NCR. The staff concerned has been briefed accordingly. There are a series of festivals beginning with Navratri. Besides, celebrations, there will be processions of Dussehra and Muharram, which makes it more sensitive due to high footfalls,” a highly placed source said. Sources said that four teams of SWAT have been deployed at important locations those attract a large crowd and gathering including India Gate. “Considering the sensitivity of the situation, 30 to 40 SWAT commandos have been kept on standby,” the source said. Under security radar is areas like India Gate, Red Fort, Jhandewalan Temple, Chhatarpur Temple, Chain of Malls at Saket, IGI Airport, Railway stations, Metro stations, ISBT, vital installations, markets, puja pandals, and parking zones. “This time it’s very sensitive due to the surgical strike that took place last week. Therefore, along with Delhi police staff and other security forces, SWAT commandos are on a strict vigil," the source said. The 2005 and 2008 bomb blasts in Delhi that had rocked the National Capital are still fresh in the minds of the citizens. On 29 October 2005, three consecutive explosions occurred in the evening killing 62 people while on 13 September 2008, five bomb blasts happened at various locations almost simultaneously within a span of few minutes that claimed 30 lives.