Gurdaspur attack, a challenge for India's internal security, says Uday Bhaskar

Commodore (Retired) C. Uday Bhaskar on Monday said that the Gurdaspur terror attack has challenged the strength of India's internal security and added that there is a need to demonstrate the ability to deal with this issue in a calibrated manner

"At this stage, the operation is still going on. But it is the challenge to India's internal security capacity, and also, I think, a challenge to the National Security apex, meaning the highest level, we have to demonstrate the ability to deal with these attacks in a very calibrated manner. And, I think, that it is something the national leadership would have to review and improve what you might call as the response matrix of such attacks,"Bhaskar told ANI here

Bhaskar also felt that there could be the involvement of the Pakistan ISIS.

"Gurdaspur attack is a very serious challenge as far as India's internal security is concerned. And the pattern of the attack would definitely indicate the equivalent of a trained force. There is some suggestion that this could have the stamp of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, which in turn means the involvement of the Pakistan ISIS," he added.

A high alert has been sounded in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi after the militant attack in Gurdaspur district of Punjab on Monday.

In Ludhiana, security forces stepped up vigil as they checked bus stands and railways stations for any suspicious activity.

Authorities also sounded a high alert in the national capital with hundreds of policemen deployed at railway stations and crowded markets.

Sniffer dogs were seen inspecting luggage at railway stations.

Earlier in the day, heavily armed men stormed a police station in Gurdaspur, killing nine and wounding several others.

One militant was also killed in the militant attack.