Gujarat: Leaves of police personnel cancelled, security upped in coastal areas neighbouring Pakistan

Ahmedabad: Security has been stepped up along the Gujarat coast, and authorities have cancelled the leaves of police personnel “due to unforeseen situation”, asking them to return to duty immediately, officials said on Thursday.

The move follows ‘Operation Sindoor’, during which Indian armed forces struck terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the early hours of Wednesday, following the killing of 25 tourists and a local near Pahalgam in Kashmir on April 22.

Gujarat shares land and sea borders with Pakistan.

The office of the state Director General of Police, Vikas Sahay, on Wednesday night issued an order cancelling the leaves of all police officers of cities and districts “due to unforeseen situation” and asked them to return to duty with immediate effect.

Ashok Kumar Yadav, Inspector General of Rajkot Range, said police along the coast have been put on “alert” mode after India’s anti-terror strikes in Pakistan.

Of the five districts under the Rajkot Range, Jamnagar, Morbi, and Devbhumi Dwarka have a coastline, said Yadav.

“We have already heightened the security along the coastal belt of Gujarat in the last two days, and a maximum police force has been deployed in that region. Police have been put on alert mode and leaves of all police officials have also been cancelled,” Yadav told PTI.

He added that policemen have been visiting coastal villages and “boat landing points” and urging villagers and sarpanchs to inform police if they spot any suspicious activity.

Personnel from the State Reserve Police (SRP) and Gram Rakshak Dal are working with local police for round-the-clock patrolling and vehicle checking in the coastal belt, said Yadav.

The official added that security has also been beefed up at various vital installations in the districts under his jurisdiction.

“Police have been patrolling the area round the clock. Vehicles are being checked at key exit and entry points, while marine police and the Marine Task Force are patrolling the sea near the coast to keep a check on suspicious movements. They are also checking ID cards and other documents of fishermen going in and out of the harbour in their boats,” said Yadav.

On Wednesday, civil defence mock drills and blackouts were conducted in 18 districts of Gujarat to make people aware of how to react in hostile situations, officials said.

While mock drills simulating emergencies like air strike and fire were organised at different vital installations in each of these 18 districts, citizens participated in blackout exercises by switching off lights for half an hour between 7:30 pm and 9:00 pm, said an official release.

In Gujarat, drills were conducted in Vadodara, Surat, Tapi, Patan, Banaskantha, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Morbi, Gir Somnath, Mehsana, Narmada, Navsari, Dang, Kutch, Bharuch, Gandhinagar and Bhavnagar, said the release.