India gears up to thwart aerial strikes

New Delhi: Inputs from India's intelligence sources revealed that terrorists might carry out aerial strikes across India especially in the capital, said junior minister for Home Affairs Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary on Tuesday. He further said that there were confirmed reports from India's intelligence agencies that terrorists are actively contemplating such subversive activities.

The Minister, however, said that the government had already prepared a procedure to thwart and nullify the ensuing threat. The procedure would detect, identify and neutralize any probable threats, he said.

Special emphasis has been to prepare a strategy that would foil any attack made using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

Chaudhary further mentioned that the security and vigilance have already been beefed up in the backdrop of such security alerts.

At the backdrop of such imminent threat, the central government and the Ministry of Home Affairs have asked the various intelligence agencies including RAW, NTRO, and IB to provide suggestions and inputs.

Inputs from the intelligence agencies would be used to finalize the draft of the Standard Operating Procedure. The procedure would be followed if any suck aerial strikes take place.

Notably, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, of the Government of India, had already banned the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in the civil airspace by any non-government body. DGCA is also processing the formulation of regulations for the operation of drones by non-government organizations in Indian airspace.

Reports had earlier surfaced that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) had joined hands with Pakistan-based militant outfits like Al Qaeda to carry out subversive activities in India. The recent arrest of undercover Pakistan Inter State Intelligence from various Indian cities indicates that the terrorist groups is breeding in the Indian soil.

It might be mentioned that the all Pakistan-based militants who were nabbed in India have had their links with the Pakistani intelligence agency.

(With inputs from agencies)