After an alert issued by central intelligence agencies, security has been strengthened at all diplomatic and non-diplomatic establishments of the United States and its allies, particularly Israel, across the country.
Law-enforcement agencies perceived a threat to the foreign missions soon after the killing of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul, Afghanistan, in a drone strike launched by the U.S. on July 31. The alert called for strengthening security arrangements at the U.S. and Israeli embassies/consulates, related offices, residential premises and settlements, police sources told The Hindu on Wednesday.
Besides intensifying access-control measures, the State police were told to enhance patrolling around the premises of foreign missions and also sensitise security personnel to the escalated threat perceptions that emanated from Al-Qaeda and its allied terror organisations, sources said.
The alert was issued at a time when security arrangements had already been strengthened at vulnerable locations, international borders and vital installations as part of the 75th Independence Day celebrations. A few days ago, the Union government called for deploying more security personnel at Jewish establishments following Israeli air strikes in Gaza targeting Palestinian Islamic Jihadi fighters. The attack left about 30 people, including six children, dead.
According to sources in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which provides security cover to all airports/seaports and other sensitive installations, the entry of visitors had been temporarily banned at domestic and international airports, in view of the Independence Day celebrations. The issuing of temporary Airport Entry Passes by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security had been restricted to exigencies, the sources said.
In Chennai, security was beefed up at the U.S. Consulate. Check-posts were established on roads leading to a Jewish settlement in Dindigul district. On the action being taken to prevent the spread of sensitive posts on social media, Tamil Nadu Director-General of Police C. Sylendra Babu said special teams of the Cyber Crime Wing were closely monitoring social media and taking steps to block or delete the accounts of users posting hate messages or any other content that could trigger unrest in society.
