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Saudi unhappy over leaks of Abu Jundal operation: NSA

September 07, 2012 18:02 IST

Saudi Arabian authorities have expressed unhappiness over the media leaks of details of the operation that led to the arrest of key Mumbai attack handler Abu Jundal, according to National Security Advisor Shivshanker Menon.

Menon made a reference to this while addressing the DGPs and IGPs at their annual conference where he underlined the need for ensuring complete secrecy in police operations and advised them not to compromise sources in claiming "operational glory", sources privy to the meeting said on Friday.

The sources claimed that Menon in his address in New Delhi on Thursday said if the sources are made public there was a threat they may never work with the security agencies again.

The NSA told the top police officers that Saudi authorities were not happy with the way minute details of the Abu Jundal operation were made public apparently by the security agencies involved in the operation, the sources said.

Jundal, the 26/11 handler who is in jail in Mumbai, was deported to India by the Saudi authorities in June as part of enhanced intelligence and security related cooperation between two countries.

The sources said Menon also warned the police top brass to keep a close watch on the activities of neighbouring countries.

The NSA also asked the police and intelligence officials to remain vigilant about the security of the critical infrastructure of the country, they said.

Sources said the NSA while referring to the recent attack on the nuclear establishment in Pakistan by the jihadi elements spoke of the need for the security and police agencies to remain vigilant about any such threat to the security of the critical infrastructure.

The sources said Menon expressed concern over the poor monitoring of activities in Myanmar. The ethnic clashes there led to killing of people which created a huge international uproar and was in the media domain for over 15 days before the Indian authorities started tracking them.

Sources said the NSA wanted secrecy to be maintained at all levels in handling cases of international terrorism as the acts have "dangerous propensity of international embarrassment".