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Delhi is a fortress on R-Day eve

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

Braving a hailstorm and rains, over 65,000 police personnel have turned India's capital city into a fortress on the Republic Day eve, even as intelligence agencies warned afresh of terrorist attacks on Wednesday all over the country.

The Delhi Police and paramilitary troops have made unprecedented security arrangements. Both North Block and South Block, housing important ministries and the Prime Minister's Office, and all government buildings surrounding Rajpath were sealed by noon Tuesday.

Entry to Rajpath - running between India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan and between the North and South Blocks -- and all roads cutting across it have been blocked off.

The RD parade takes place on the Rajpath traditionally, ending with a colourful flypast.

All highrise buildings in and around Rajpath and Connaught Place have been sanitised and sealed. Home ministry sources said the police have mounted anti-aircraft guns above most of the buildings, providing "air defence to the capital."

The police is also carrying out massive searches across Delhi, especially in areas where Kashmiri militants usually hide. Intelligence agencies say that some explosives, including RDX, which have been smuggled into the city in the run-up to the R-Day is yet to be recovered.

The police Tuesday arrested Qamaran Gohar, a Pakistani national, with explosives, including RDX and a hand grenade similar to the one recovered from India Gate Sunday morning.

On January 16 the police had arrested Abdul Rashid, another Pakistani national, while he was trying to smuggle in RDX, electronic detonators and ABCD timers, concealed in toys. It was Rashid who told the police about Gohar.

Qamaran was found to be carrying 2.9 kg of RDX, two time-pencils, two electronic detonators, one hand grenade and one cellphone.

What is worrying the security agencies more than Delhi is the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Srinagar city has been taken over by security agencies, true -- but the possibility of attacks by suicide squad still remain.

"Suicide squads can strike, they are determined to die. And that makes everything so possible," intelligence officials said. They also warned that militants may use solar-powered rockets and other airborne devices carrying explosives.

The warnings came amidst a suicide squad attack on a transit camp in Kashmir's Tattoo ground, in which two militants and an equal number of army personnel were killed and six soldiers injured.

Intelligence officials also warned of possible attacks in Jammu region, which has been relatively peaceful. In fact, sources speculated that Jammu "could become the real target."

Meanwhile, the home ministry has issued warnings to all states asking them to take foolproof security measures. The northeastern states, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have been issued special warnings.

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