Navy Chief warns of terror attacks via the high seas

India's Naval chief has said Pakistan based terrorists are planning attacks via the high seas. Naval Chief Sunil Lanba speaking at an event in Delhi said, "We also have reports of terrorists being trained to carry out attacks with varying modus operandi including through the medium of the sea."

Slamming Pakistan for its support to terror, Lanba said, "India faces a far more serious version of terrorism called 'State-Sponsored Terrorism'. You have all witnessed the horrific scale of the extremist attack in Jammu and Kashmir just 3 weeks ago. This violence was perpetrated by extremists aided and abetted by a state which seeks to destabilise India."

After the 26/11 attacks in 2008 India has increased its security along the coastline. 

The government has been implementing the Coastal Security Scheme in phases since 2005. The objective of the scheme is to strengthen the capacity and infrastructure of Police Force of the coastal States/UTs for patrolling and surveillance of coastal areas. 

Under the scheme, 200 Coastal Police Stations are operational, and Coastal Police has been equipped with 204 boats, 30 jetties, 284 four-wheelers.This is not the first time a warning has come of Pakistan based terrorist planning an attack via the high seas. 

In January, speaking in the Parliament, Minister of state in the Home Ministry Hansraj Ahir said, "available inputs indicate that the Pakistan based terrorist group continue to train their cadres for underwater strike capabilities in a bid to infiltrate them into India by sea/water ways."

Explaining further he said,  Pakistan based terrorist organization have exhorted its cadres for "samundari jihad" against India. 

The development comes even as India saw the worst terror attack on its security personnel on 14th February in Pulwama in which it lost more than 40 CRPF personnel. Pakistan based group Jaish e mohammad (JeM) has claimed responsibility for the attack.