Terror vigil along coast, Bangalore on high alert

A day before the fifth anniversary of the IISc terror attack, the state police have been placed on high alert – especially on the Karnataka coast – following an alert from the central intelligence agencies that some terrorists had sneaked into the state, chief minister BS Yeddyurappa said on Monday.

The alert has prompted the police to keep a quick reaction team (QRT) ready to thwart any possible terror attack in the state, he said.

The intelligence agencies had sounded an alert that there could be terror strikes in the run-up to new year’s celebrations in Karnataka, including Bangalore.

“We were told that coastal districts were vulnerable as the terror module was moving along the coast,” a senior police officer, who attended an emergency meeting called by the chief minister to review the security measures, said.

Officials, who attended the meeting, said the alert was issued following strong suspicion that the four terrorists, who had entered Mumbai by a boat from Kavaratti in Lakshadweep Islands, remained untraceable after landing.

“They must have moved on the West coast, and we recently conducted search of suspicious vessels, but it yielded nothing,” said a police official.

Interestingly, the security apparatus in the state is confused about the issue. Though Yeddyurappa said a contingent of 550 paramilitary force personnel had arrived in Bangalore, a senior security official said the contingent was sent by neighbouring Tamil Nadu for the smooth conduct of the second phase of local body elections scheduled to be held on December 31.

The quick reaction team (QRT), trained by Army personnel and attached to Karnataka State Reserve Police, will however be kept ready to meet any eventualities, another officer said.

The officer said a round-the-clock vigil will be maintained on the entire Karnataka coastline stretching over 350 km. “There are important strategic installations like New Mangalore Port and Kaiga Atomic Power Plant, besides more than ten fisheries and minor ports across the coast line,” he said. Besides this, there are several tourist spots which attract foreigners on Karnataka coast.

“The in-puts from the security agencies have stated that the police alert should concentrate on places frequented by foreigners during he New Year’s Eve celebrations,” sources said.

Police commissioner Shankar M Bidari said an additional police force would be deployed at crowded places like main city and Majestic bus stations, malls, shopping areas, railway stations and the Bangalore International Airport (BIA).

Besides the IISc attack, Bangalore was witness to a serial bomb blast on July 25, 2008, which claimed one life and injured 15. In April this year, the twin blasts at the Chinnaswamy Stadium injured nine policemen.