Security has been increased in Madhopur, near the ਪੰਜਾਬ-Jammu and Kashmir border, after the terror attack in Pahalgam. ਪੰਜਾਬ ਪੁਲਿਸ and central security agencies have been deployed in the area.
In Pathankot, ਪੁਲਿਸ have set up several checkpoints along the Pathankot-Jammu national highway. Vehicles are being thoroughly checked. Senior ਪੁਲਿਸ officials reached Madhopur and made detailed plans to prevent any untoward incident.
ਪੁਲਿਸ believe that the suspects involved in the attack may have entered the ਸ਼ਹਿਰ or nearby areas. To deal with the situation, the Army, BSF, ਪੰਜਾਬ ਪੁਲਿਸ’s anti-sabotage teams, and Special Operations Group (SOG) have been deployed.
The SOG is a special ਪੁਲਿਸ unit trained to handle terrorism and high-risk situations. SSP Daljinder Singh Dhillon said heavy security was necessary at this time.
Joint quick response teams (QRTs) from the Army and ਪੰਜਾਬ ਪੁਲਿਸ are patrolling the border. Around 340 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras have been installed in the ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹਾ — 100 of them at the interstate border. Dog squads are also being used for security checks.
Special attention is being given to railway stations and bus stands. Pathankot is seen as a sensitive area because it is the gateway to both Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Most road traffic to these states passes through the ਸ਼ਹਿਰ.
In 2016, Pathankot was the site of a major terrorist attack when four terrorists from Lashkar-e-Toiba entered the Air Force base. All were killed by NSG commandos flown in from Delhi.
