'Srinagar airport, Awantipora base always at high alert'

The Srinagar airport and the Indian Air Force airbase at Awantipora are already at high alert for over a decade and a half, officials said on Friday in wake of reports about heightened security following an imminent terror threat.

A senior intelligence officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said: "Srinagar International Airport and the Awantipora air base have always been extremely high value targets for the terrorists.

"There is nothing new in media reports saying that these two vital installations are on the radar of the militants. Security at both the Srinagar International Airport and the Awantipora air base is already at its maximum alert and has been so since the militant attack at the outer gate of Srina gar airport in 2001."

"There is no question of lowering the guard or heightening security at these places where both the security component and surveillance equipment grid is always on maximum alert," the official added.

On January 17, 2001, militants attacked the outer gate of Srinagar airport and 11 people including six militants, three security men, a bank officer and a teenager were killed.

The outer gate is at least a km away from the main airport building and the runway.

--IANS

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