High alert in Gurdaspur, Pathankot districts

GURDASPUR: Security agencies were on their toes and a combing operation was on in and around Tibri military cantonment area here, a day after some locals in a nearby village claimed sighting of two men in army fatigue moving in suspicious manner.

The area around Tibri cantonment area has been cartoned off and a search was on, police said. But, so far, no "suspicious movement" was detected by the agencies.

"There has been no movement (of any suspicious person) noticed. The area around west of Tbri cantonment has been circled by security agencies. A close watch is being kept and thorough checking is under way," Gurdaspur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurpreet Singh Toor said.

"All vehicles and people, in and around the area, have been physically checked," he said adding that the situation was under control.

The two border districts of Gurdaspur and Pahankot were on high alert, he said.

"We are not taking any chance," the SSP said, adding that the area would be sanitised properly.

Yesterday, some locals in a village of Gurdaspur district reported sighting of two men in army uniform moving in suspicious manner.

Some villagers reported that they had seen two men in army fatigues in Tibri area, which is a cantonment area, police said.

A farmer, Satnam Singh, of Pandher village was the first one to make the claim, saying he had seen two suspected persons in Tibri while working in the fields, police had said.

Pandher village is situated about one-and-a-half km away from the Tibri cantonment.

Police immediately swung into action and reported the matter to Army and a joint search operation was launched.

There were also reports that five terrorists had sneaked into the border area of Gurdaspur and Pathankot, following which army formations have been put on alert, officials said.

Six terrorists in army fatigues attacked the Air Base in Pathankot on Saturday last, leading to an encounter that lasted over four days.

Gurdaspur was also targeted by Pakistani terrorists in July last year also when they struck at a police station here.