Islamabad, July 31/Nationalturk- The authorities in Pakistan have beefed up security arrangements of international airport in capital Islamabad following terror threats.
Sources said intelligence agencies have received inputs Islamabad airport is on the radar of militants. “After successfully storming a prison in Dera Ismail Khan in restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the militants may try to carry out attacks on some high profile targets including international airport”.
They said after receiving advisory from intelligence agencies, police have beefed up security in the airport and deployed additional commandos and gun wielding cops.
Passengers, attendants being frisked, armoured vehicles deployed
“All the passengers and their attendants entering their airport premises are being thoroughly frisked and checked. Besides, some armored vehicles have been deployed near the entrance of the airport,” security officials said.
Earlier, on late Monday night, over 100 heavily armed militants including suicide bombers launched a brazen attack on Dera Ismail Khan’s Central Prison, Pakistan’s one of the most guarded detention facilities. The militants freed 243 prisoners including some hardcore militants. Among the freed militant is one Walid Akbar, who was awarded 1,616 years jail sentence for his involvement in bombing Shia procession last year.
Militant attack on prison took place despite spy agencies warning
The militant attack on prison had taken despite intelligence agencies warning to government and security officials of restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The intelligence agencies had on July 27 and 28 warned of imminent militant attack on Central Jail in Dera Ismail Khan.
According to Pakistan newspaper The Dawn, on July 27, a letter marked “secret” and “most immediate” by the intelligence agency addressed to the commissioner, deputy commissioner, deputy inspector general of police, district police officer and the superintendent of Dera Ismail Khan central jail had warned that It has been reliably learnt that militant Umer Khitab and his associates affiliated with Gandapur Group/TTP are planning to carry out terrorist attack against Central Jail – Dera Ismail Khan on the pattern similar to Bannu jailbreak in near future. “According to information, miscreants are in possession of sketch/map of Jail and have reached in the vicinity of Dera Ismail Khan for this purpose,” it had warned.
The security agencies, according to newspaper, had repeated the warning on July 28 also.
The authorities, however, failed to take concrete measures to foil militant attack and were caught hapless when militants finally struck and freed 243 prisoners.
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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News
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