New Delhi:
As India celebrates 60 years as a Republic amid tight security, there has been yet another ceasefire violation by Pakistan at the international border in Jammu.
Heavy firing has been being reported from the Kanachak area of the Akhnoor sector. The firing started from across the international border near a BSF post at about 2 am. There was intermittent firing through the night as BSF retaliated.
Search operations are going on along the border as terrorists usually try to infiltrate under cover of such firing.
Since a week before the Republic Day, there've been threats of hijack and air-borne suicide attacks.
Delhi has turned into a fortress as 18,000 security personnel throw a security cordon around the national capital.
The Air Force is on high alert. Its helicopters will patrol the skies to counter any possible threats from terrorists.
Commandos of the National Security Guards, central paramilitary forces, and snipers of the Delhi Police have also been deployed.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made in Mumbai too. Vigil on sensitive installations and other public transport systems have been intensified. More than 40,000 policemen have been deployed across the city.
While 150 Force 1 commandos are on stand by, 41IPS officers are monitoring the security. Eleven bomb detection teams were also deployed at various spots with sniffer dogs. Five Quick Response Teams, 20 platoons of the SRPF and seven teams of the NSG are also on alert.
Security has been tightened in Bangalore too. There will be three quick reaction teams including the City Armed Reserve and the Karnataka State Reserve Police on stand by.
In Jammu, the Republic Day function is being held in the MA stadium. Additional checking points have also been put up all around the city. In fact all the entry points to the city have been sealed off, people are being thoroughly frisked, vehicles are being checked, all these are the measures that have been employed on Republic day.