Mumbai was put on a high alert on Thursday after school children in Uran (Maharashtra) claimed seeing a group of 5-6 men carrying weapons near INS Abhimanyu base
Indian Navy was put on a high alert on Thursday after school children in Uran (Maharashtra) claimed seeing a group of 5-6 men carrying weapons near INS Abhimanyu base.
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Heavy security arrangements after two school children spotted suspicious looking gunmen at Uran, in Navi Mumbai. Pic/PTI
Navy conducts search ops after school children in Maharashtra's Uran claimed of seeing 5-6 men carrying weapons near INS Abhimanyu base. pic.twitter.com/GM4LnMq0gE
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 22, 2016
Navi Mumbai police outside the school where students claimed of seeing a group of armed men, near Naval base in Maharashtra's Uran pic.twitter.com/lrFFVC6Zqe
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 22, 2016
Police said they have closed down the schools and are conducting searches as the nature of information was sensitive.
At around 11 am, students said they saw 4 men in Pathan suit type dresses talking to each other in a different language.
"Children of Uran education society spotted the suspicious men, after which the police were informed," said an official of the Navi Mumbai police.
They were spotted by students opposite to the Naval base and as per students they heard the men say 'ONGC' and 'school' repeatedly.
A search is on to trace the four men, police said. According to Indian Navy Chief PRO Capt D K Sharma, the search operation is going on along with Maharashtra police after the matter came to light. The Western Naval Command (WNC) issued "the highest state of alert" along the Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Raigad coasts after suspicious movement of a group was reported in Uran.
The WNC has roped-in the police and Coast Guard also for the task. According to initial information received by the authorities, four school students spotted a group of people dressed in uniform similar to that of Indian Army near Uran and Karanja area.
The DGP office immediately issued alerts to all police stations along the coast.
Security has been beefed up at sensitive locations along the coast, including the Gateway of India, Raj Bhawan, Bombay High (rig), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and other major establishments near the sea.
The Maharashtra police has also issued an alert following the information that some suspects were moving around near Uran, Director General of Police Satish Mathur said.
All the coastal police stations in the state have been put on alert and police teams are working in coordination with the Navy in search operations, he said. Mathur, however, was quick to point out that no suspect has been traced so far.
Notably, the coastline is guarded by a three-tier network which starts with the local police (with its coastal police stations) closest to the land, followed by the Union Home Ministry-led Coast Guard while the Indian Navy patrols the high seas.
-with inputs from agency
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