2 Indian ports on alert for commandos from Pakistan
NEW DELHI: Two of India's main ports are on alert after coast guard and intelligence officials warned that Pakistan-trained commandos had entered Indian waters to carry out underwater attacks on port facilities.
Officials from the Mundra Port, run by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd, and the state-owned Kandla Port, have asked their employees and ship operators to be vigilant, port officials and the ports said in advisories.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated since India revoked the special status of its portion of the Himalayan region of Kashmirand moved to quell objections by shutting down communications and clamping down on local leaders.
Pakistan reacted with fury, cutting trade and transport ties and expelling India's ambassador.
PROVOCATION
Yesterday, Pakistan successfully carried out a training launch of a surface-to-surface ballistic missile, an exercise viewed as hostile by some in India.
In recent weeks, both countries have repeatedly accused each other of violating ceasefires and seeking to provoke conflict in what is one of the world's most dangerous nuclear flashpoints.
Intelligence inputs shared by government officials suggested that "Pakistan-trained commandos" had entered the Gulf of Kutch on the west coast to foment violence, the Kandla Port said in an advisory.
Mr Venu Gopal, secretary of a trust that runs Kandla Port, confirmed it had received the intelligence.
"We've reviewed the situation and instructed our security personnel to beef up security at vital installations and vulnerable areas," he said.
An advisory issued by Adani, which operates the Mundra Port, told all ships there to "take utmost security measures and maintain a vigilant watch".
"We've informed our stakeholders at the port," an Adani spokesman said. - REUTERS
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