Taking serious note of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) report warning about a possible terror strike in Odisha by Pakistan-based terror groups, Commissioner of Police RP Sharma on Thursday said all possible measures have been taken to provide foolproof security to residents of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. “We get general alerts about threat perceptions in our country at regular intervals. But this time, there is a specific intelligence input suggesting that a group of lakshar-e-Tayyeba (leT) terrorists have planned to carry out a terror strike in four States, including Odisha,” the CP said.
As per agency inputs, the terrorists may try to target the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Baleswar district, he added. “We took stock of security preparednesss at a meeting of all IICs, ACPs and DCPs of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar held here and planned measures to provide foolproof security to denizens,” Sharma said.
Sources said the meeting also discussed other issues like intelligence gathering and precautions needed in case of an actual attack. Notably, two terrorists, a Pakistani national and an Indian Mujahideen (IM) were arrested by the Commissionarate Police here in 2013. They had visited Bhubaneswar and Puri.
To respond effectively to the threat, police have taken basic measures like vigorous and extensive checking of all public places such as hotels, malls, lodges, airport, bus stands, railway stations and other possible targets of the terrorist modules, the CP informed. If they (terrorists) choose sea routes, marine police and Coast Guard will meet the challenge, he added.