Explore Business Standard
Terror Alert
A high-security alert has been sounded across Jammu and Kashmir in view of the recent terror attacks in Pakistan, including the killing of a top commander of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), officials said on Tuesday. All the protected persons, including politicians, have been advised to be conscious and strictly follow the security protocols for their safety, the officials in the security establishment said. They said the forces have been directed to maintain a close watch and "extraordinary" vigil to thwart any attempt by anti-national elements to carry out any attack, especially on soft targets, by intensifying area domination patrolling and search operations. Several recent terror attacks in Balochistan, including a train hijacking and the killing of top LeT commander Zia-ur-Rehman alias Nadeem alias Abu Qatal alias Qatal Sindhi have prompted the security alert, the officials said. Rehman, who was wanted by the Indian security agencies for several deadly terror attacks in
Union Home Minister Amit Shah Thursday said anti-terror agencies will have to adopt such ruthless approach that new terrorist organisations are not formed in the country. Addressing an anti-terror conference here, Shah also said not only terrorism, but the entire ecosystem of the terrorists has to be destroy. The home minister said tough decisions taken by the Modi government have yielded very good results in handling challenges posed by cryptocurrencies, hawala, terror-funding, organised crime syndicates and narco-terror links. Still a lot more is to be done, he said. "All anti-terror agencies will have to adopt such a ruthless approach that new terrorist organisations cannot be formed," he said. Shah said there is a need to not only combat terrorism but also dismantle its entire ecosystem, and for this "we must work with the spirit of the Whole of Government and Team India".
The Pakistan government has issued a nationwide alert to authorities to maintain "extreme vigilance" amid a heightened risk of terrorist attacks by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) after peace talks with the dreaded terror group have stalled, a media report said on Thursday. The federal government said it had learnt that the TTP high command met recently in Paktika, Afghanistan, to discuss the deadlock in peace talks and the fate of the negotiations with the Pakistani government after the killing of TTP commanders Omar Khalid Khorasani and Aftab Parkay. The letter urged all authorities in four provinces to heighten security and exercise enhanced vigilance to avoid any untoward incident, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement, instructing forces that targeted search and strike missions be carried out wherever militant activity is reported. In a letter circulated last month, the Ministry of Interior warned that more than year-long peace negotiations between the TTP and the .