HIGH ALERT, VILLAGES EVACUATED

J&K CM strikes note of caution, voices concern over escalation of situation along the borders

The country was on Thursday put on high alert in wake of intelligence inputs that terrorists may strike in retaliation to the Army’s surgical strike on terror launchpads across the LOC in Pakistan. Civilians along 10 km range of the J&K and Punjab border areas were evacuated by the Army and local administration.

The country was on Thursday put on high alert in wake of Intelligence inputs that terrorists may strike in retaliation to the Army’s surgical strike on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh spoke to the Chief Ministers of bordering states of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

In Punjab, Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal put the entire government machinery on an emergency mode. He directed the chief secretary and director general of police to ask the deputy commissioners and senior superindents of police to oversee the entire evacuation process in the border districts of Ferozepur, Fazilka, Amritsar, Taran Tarn, Gurdaspur and Pathnkot.

He also directed the Deputy Commissioners to identify suitable locations for setting up camps and ensure that none of the residents being evacuated were put to any sort of inconvenience or hardship.

Elsewhere in the country, security apparatus was beefed up in railway stations, metros, bus depots, airports, seaports, hospitals and places having high footfall like malls, multiplexes, shopping plazas and busy marketplaces.

UNION minister Rajnath Singh briefed the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir