Ahead of India’s 72nd Independence Day celebrations on Thursday 15 August, police in the country’s western city of Mumbai have bolstered the security apparatus following intelligence inputs that there may be a terror attack from the sea.
Mumbai Police instructed all police stations with coastal jurisdictions to place armed personnel on night patrol, identify sensitive spots, ban vehicle parking and install bright lights at 70 landing points, and conduct garbage bin and ditch checks regularly.
The Regional Commander (West) of the ICG cautioned police along the city’s eastern and western coasts to intensify security drills, including illuminating the region to counter any suspicious movements before and during Independence Day celebrations.
The warning follows the receipt of “serious intelligence inputs” about a possible terrorist attack being launched from the sea, Indian daily The Indian Express reports.
Mumbai’s eastern and western coasts are customarily placed on security alert ahead of national day events like Independence Day and Republic Day.
The threat perception of a terror strike is due to existing tensions between India and Pakistan over the changed territorial status of Kashmir, an ICG official told the paper.
According to the daily, patrolling has been intensified on city beaches, mangroves and fishing jetties. Mumbai’s fishing community has been told to watch out for any suspicious activity along the coastline.
India’s coastline security has been made a priority since the terror attack on 26 November 2008 in which, 10 Pakistani terrorists entered Mumbai via the sea and left 166 people dead and over 300 injured.