Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 6: Two major hydro-electric power projects in Jammu and Punjab and a vital bridge have come under the radar of terrorists, according to an Intelligence agency report, which has prompted security agencies to further step-up their security.
Reliable sources told the Excelsior that Ranjit Sagar dam also known as Thein dam in Shahpur Kandi town of Punjab, bordering Lakhanpur and Basohli towns of Kathua district in Jammu region, Baglihar hydro-electric power project in Ramban district and vital newly constructed bridge over river Chenab in Akhnoor town have turned out to be three major projects, which the militants sitting in Pakistan were planning to target.
Sources said the militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit, presently camping at a school building at Darman in Sialkot district opposite Samba and Hiranagar sectors, have been provided with latest weapons and explosive devices. They have been asked to wait and watch at Darman till arrangements were made for their infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir.
The militants have been assigned three targets-triggers blasts at Baglihar hydro-electric project in Ramban, Ranjit Sagar dam in Punjab and Akhnoor bridge in Jammu district.
According to sources, these four militants have been given latest training to handle arms and explosive devices by the activists of United Jehad Council (UJC) and Refugee Management Cell (RMC).
Authorities have already shared the input with Punjab Police, which was guarding Ranjit Sagar dam in Shahpur Kandi town of Pathankot, bordering the areas of Kathua district in Jammu region from Lakhanpur to Basohli. Punjab Police have deployed additional police personnel for safety of the project as any sabotage there could lead to disaster.
Though security of Ranjit Sagar dam, which had a capacity of 600 megawatt power generation and was being used for irrigations as well as power generation, falls completely in Punjab, Kathua police has also beefed up security in the areas bordering the dam.
Baglihar hydro-electric power project, a run-of-the-river project over river Chenab in Ramban district with capacity of 900 megawatts power generation, was already on target of the militants but police authorities have upgraded security of the project following fresh Intelligence inputs about security threat to the project.
The project is guarded round-the-clock from all routes.
Sources said this was for the first time that an Intelligence input had also come about security threat to vital bridge over river Chenab in Akhnoor town. There were now two bridges over river Chenab in Akhnoor, one of which had recently been constructed.
They added that authorities were not taking the Intelligence input leniently and have directed for strict security surveillance at all three major installations to protect them.
“There is already enough security of all major projects including power projects in the State. However, we have further stepped-up security of the three projects, which have specifically been pointed out by the Intelligence agencies as major targets of security forces in the election year,” sources said.
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