BSF on continuous alert regardless of heavy attacks by Taliban in Pakistan navy's Mehran airbase

NEW DELHI: The BSF today said the attack by heavily armed Taliban militants in Pakistan navy's Mehran airbase in Karachi does not not directly affect the security situation on the Indian borders and but the force is on "continuous alert" regardless of such incidents.

"These things do not really affect the border as such. We have to be alert. Anything may happen anytime. We are just taking our precautions. It is a continuous alert..24X7 alert. (It is) an operational alert.

"They (militants across the border) are trying (to infiltrate)...they keep trying . We keep blocking them. So far they have not succeeded in infiltrating our borders," BSF chief Raman Srivastava told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

Srivastava said a host of measures have been taken to secure the Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh in the aftermath of the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

"Commandants downwards every officer is there on the border-- night and day. Intensive patrolling is taking place. Total mobilisation has been done and leave (has been) cancelled...everything (has been done)," the BSF Director General said.

"We are fully alert and everything is properly supervised by the Commandants," he said, adding that there was however no specific alert but the force has to be vigilant as "anything may happen anytime".

A Commandant rank officer commands a battalion comprising about 1,000 personnel.

Srivastava said the BSF would also deploy almost 3,000 personnel, as last year, for securing the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra and so specific alerts have been received by them in connection with the Yatra.

He also said the central security force would be recruiting almost 20,000 personnel as part of the expansion plan, adding to its present strength of 2.25-lakh.