NE NEWS SERVICE
JAMMU, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JULY 2
The involvement of Pakistan in the drone attack on an Air Force station here cannot be ruled out as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a terrorist group based out of that country, is strongly suspected to be behind it, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbag Singh said on Friday.
Singh said the use of armed drones by Pakistan-based terrorists is a “very serious threat” to the security system and there was a need to have a relook at the security of vital places and persons.
“We have got very serious and strong suspicion that LeT is involved in this case…. Since LeT is involved and the outfit is run from Pakistan, so in a way Pakistan’s involvement cannot be ruled out,” the police chief told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Kathua district.
To what extent Pakistani agencies are involved would be known only when the investigation proceeds further, he added.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the investigation into the first-of-its-kind drone attack on the Indian Air Force (IAF) station at Jammu airport on June 27.
Two bombs were dropped from drones, causing minor injuries to two airmen. The first blast ripped off the roof of a single-storey building at the technical area of the Jammu airport manned by the IAF. The second one was on the ground. A cocktail of explosive material, including RDX, is believed to have been used.
Referring to the seizure of a 5.5-kg improvised explosive device (IED) in Jammu hours after the twin blasts at the IAF station, Singh said, “They were planning to trigger an explosion at a crowded place with the aim to cause the largest possible casualties. But luckily we were able to intercept and capture the fellow (terrorist) who gave certain leads and we were able to recover the IED and avert a major terror attack.”
The Director General of Police (DGP) said over a dozen incidents had taken place earlier wherein the LeT was involved in dropping weapons, ready-made IEDs and narcotics using drones.
Asked whether the recovery of the IED and the IAF bombing are linked, he said, “I would not be able to say at this point of time that the two are connected. But we are trying to prove if there is any linkage.”
The DGP said it is very much possible that the drones came from across the border.
“In the earlier drone droppings, the drones covered a distance of 10 to 15 km and the aerial distance of the Jammu airport (from the international border) is not more than that. The particular route which is suspected to have been taken by the drone if it had come from across also comes within the range of 15 km,” he said.
Singh said there have been incidents of drone droppings in Akhnoor and Arnia on the outskirts of Jammu and Samba and the initial indications and questioning of people who have been caught pointed towards it.
“It is very much possible that it (drone) has come from across but other angles would also not be ruled out at this stage,” he said.
In response to a question about the threat posed by the use of armed drones, Singh said it is a very serious threat to the security system.
“Under the international protocol, this kind of activity is not supposed to be taking place but if it has started and some terrorist outfits are involved in this, it poses a serious threat. We have a relook of the security of the vital places and important persons. The threat does not respect the parameters of the security,” he said.
Drone research lab to be set up, says Kerala DGP
A day after Army chief M M Naravane said easy availability of drones has increased the complexity of security challenges in the country, Kerala police chief Anil Kant on Friday said a drone research laboratory would be set up here to mitigate any threat.
Kant, who met the media online for the first time after taking charge as the State police chief, said the State police would also consider collaborating with the Union government in the research sector to address the security threats posed by drones.
“We will set up a drone research laboratory to address the security threats. The research lab will be developed with the help of Cyberdome of the Kerala police. We will also consider collaborating with the Union government in the research sector,” Kant told the media.
Cyberdome is a technological research and development Centre of the Kerala Police Department conceived as a Cyber Centre of excellence in cyber security as well as technology augmentation for effective policing.
Kant said the welfare of the police force was his priority and a medical health insurance for policemen would be introduced soon.
“We are exploring the option and will bring forward the best option for the force,” he said. The State police chief said a special team would be formed to combat the gold-smuggling gang in the State and to deal with organised crime, a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA)-like law would be enacted.
“We have already submitted a similar proposal to the government,” Kant said.
He said the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in the State would be strengthened along with increasing the social media presence of the force to counter the cyber security threat. Kant said he always believed that policing is not one- man-show but team work that would gather intelligence on the police-mafia nexus if any.
Senior IPS officer Kant succeeded Loknath Behera who had retired on Wednesday. A 1988 batch officer, Kant was serving as the Road Safety Commissioner in the State.
