High alert sounded in New Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir; intel agencies fear attack by Zakir Musa-led Al-Qaeda

Ahead of the Republic Day celebrations, intelligence agencies have sounded high alert in New Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, CNN-News18 reported on Tuesday. The alert has been sounded four days after a CRPF vehicle with a Jammu and Kashmir number plate was stolen from Delhi’s RK Puram area.

#EXCLUSIVE Ahead of #RepublicDay,high alert in Delhi,J&K. 4 days after a CRPF vehicle with J&K registration was stolen from RK Puram,intelligence agencies issued an alert as their latest input says attacks could be on security installations or camps with explosives-laden vehicles pic.twitter.com/O1jjp5dHim

— News18 (@CNNnews18) January 9, 2018

The RK Puram Police has still not been able to trace the stolen Tata Sumo vehicle. [caption id=“attachment_4294267” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] According to intelligence agency sources, militants can use the vehicle for carrying out explosions in New Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. The CNN-News18 report quoting intelligence sources added that militants can sue cars with police vehicles to enter high security zones and carry out attacks. CNN-News18 reported that intelligence agencies fear that militants may attack these areas at a time when Heads of State of 10 ASEAN countries are set to attend the celebrations this year. Fearing an attack by Zakir Musa-led militants , senior police officials have been deployed across Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir as a result of the high alert, the report said. As noted by this July 2017  Firstpost  report, Musa, the former commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, was made the head of Al-Qaeda’s Kashmir-based operations.