A major security crisis was averted during the Commonwealth Games, which concluded in Delhi yesterday, as specific intelligence inputs suggested that a large number of terrorists from Al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Toiba were planning to hit the Games venues and hotels on October 12 and 13.
Apart from the intelligence inputs, security agencies were baffled as 1,800 people with adverse police reports were given accreditation cards by the Organising Committee, while 10,000 policemen involved in protecting the Games venues and hotels were unable to get accreditation cards.
“The intelligence information was received on October 10 and it was very specific in nature. The attack was supposed to be carried out on October 12 and 13. The information that we had received suggested that the nature of the attack was a shootout and the terrorists would be carrying guns that could blow up the entrances of the venues,” said a senior government officer.
Senior government officials have revealed that an “international security agency” had provided specific intelligence that terrorists trained at the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan were planning to hit at venues and they would try to sneak into the country from West Asia, Nepal and Bangladesh. The immediate targets of these terrorist attacks were the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, swimming and gymnastics venues.
To top it all, the terrorist strike on Taiwanese tourists near the Jama Masjid just before the Games has still not been cracked by the police. “We had information that the Al Qaeda-LeT network was trying to carry out an attack at the venues. Then, there was the Jama Masjid incident. We suspect that there could be a 7-8 member terrorist module involved in the strike. These terrorists are still hiding in Delhi or nearby states,” government sources said.
Senior intelligence officials also said that even before the start of the Games, they had received credible information that terrorists might carry out attacks with the help of gliders. “All the venues, the Games village and hotels were made no fly zones and snipers were directed to take out any flying object. The snipers of the army and National Security Guards (NSG) were using ‘Zoo’ guns that could hit a target 2 kilometres away. Normally it is the army that only has these guns but they were also provided to the NSG,” the source said.
As a result of the intelligence inputs, an additional layer of security cover was provided around the venues, Games village and hotels. “We had deployed over 20 teams of snipers of army and NSG on top buildings to cover a radius of two kilometres. Additional commandos of the quick reaction teams were also deployed one kilometre away from the venues to thwart any terrorist attack,” added the source.
The sources further said, “On receiving intelligence information, we had to rush additional forces from Jalandhar and Chandigarh for additional backup of forces.”
If this was not enough, government sources have also revealed that more than 100 cyber attacks were made on the official website of the Commonwealth Games, most of which originated from China.
“We have had huge cyber attacks on the Games website. They started on October 3 and continued till the closing ceremony. We had set up a control room of the information and technology ministry to help us protect the website from cyber attacks,” the official said.
