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| A BSF jawan keeps vigil at an international border on Thursday. (PTI) |
Guwahati, Dec 27 : Assam police and other security forces went into a high alert mode after a Union home ministry missive yesterday indicated the possible entry of militants from across the international border to carry out subversive activities.
The home ministry alert comes in the wake of the army recently saying there were intelligence inputs of militant strikes during December and January in the state. It has even named some of the districts which could be the likely targets.
Police sources today said vigil has been tightened along the porous Indo-Bangladesh border to prevent entry of militants belonging to both Ulfa and Huji as warned by Delhi.
“The BSF has been told about the Centre’s apprehension and they are acting accordingly. We are on guard,” a source said. He said the Indo-Bangla border in Barak valley was of particular concern as it was open in several areas with fencing yet to be completed.
“The riverine border is porous anyway,” he said, adding that these were the likely routes militants from across the international border could take to enter Assam.
“At the same time, they could very well come into the state after crossing the border in West Bengal where, too, fencing is not yet complete,” he said. “All possible measures are being taken to prevent any element of anti-India forces from sneaking into the country from Bangladesh,” a BSF official here said.
He said the 90km river border with Bangladesh was being sealed with river patrolling by the BSF at regular intervals. The BSF, he said, has procured several new motorboats to beef up security along the waterway.
Sources in the special investigation team constituted to probe the October 30 serial blasts in the state said though the NDFB had executed the explosions, it was in all likelihood planned across the border in Bangladesh.
The sources, however, could not pinpoint whether any Bangladesh militant outfit like Huji was behind the serial blasts. “The true picture will come to light only after the arrest of some of the key accused,” a source said.