NEW DELHI: A high alert has been sounded in Delhi and theNational Capital Region (NCR) in the wake of a warning from the IntelligenceBureau (IB) that Pakistan-backed terror outfits Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) andJaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) may carry out terror attacks in the city during theupcoming festivals.

According to reports, the central intelligence agencies havesent credible information to Delhi Police that some members ofPakistan-supported terrorist outfits had entered the city to carry out terrorstrikes during the festival season. In view of the warning, Delhi Police’sSpecial Cell had conducted raids at several locations in the city late onWednesday.

The intelligence agencies have warned Delhi Police that somenewly-recruited Kashmiri terrorists had entered the national capital with aplan to carry out major terror strikes in the city. They said that a newlyformed terror group - al-Umar-Mujahideen - which has strong backing fromPakistan's ISI is likely to aide LeT, JeM in executing its nefarious designs.Atthe instructions of ISI, the JeM has been recruiting 'fidayeens' for carryingout terror attacks outside J&K. It is being apprehended thatJaish-e-Mohammad, the terror group which has been threatening to takeretaliatory action following the abrogation of Article 370, has managed to senda group of fidayeen to the city last week.Consequently, Delhi Police haveincreased patrolling in sensitive areas and the checking of vehicles enteringthe city. The security in and around vital installations have been beefed up. Basedon the inputs, the intelligence agencies suggested that the ISI may order theseterror groups to carry out major attacks using human suicide bombers or explosive-ladenvehicles in Delhi-NCR.

A few days ago, a foreign intelligence agency interceptedcommunications between a JeM operative and his handler, according to which theJeM was planning to launch a terror strike in India in September.A total of 30cities, including Jammu, Amritsar, Pathankot, Jaipur, Gandhinagar, Kanpur aswell as Lucknow were put on high alert.

Interestingly, the United States too expressed concerns onWednesday that Pakistan might conduct 'cross-border activities' after India'sKashmir move.Randall Shriver, Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-PacificSecurity Affairs, had voiced concerns that many countries fear that Pakistaniterrorists might launch attacks in India to avenge New Delhi's Kashmir moveunless Pakistan "keep a lid on terror groups".

"I think many have concerns that Pakistan keep a lid onterror groups that might conduct cross-border activities as a result of theKashmir decisions, and I don't sense that China wants that kind of conflict orwould support that," Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-PacificSecurity Affairs, Randall Shriver, told a Washington audience.Shriver wasresponding to a question on China's support to Pakistan on the issue of Kashmirafter India nullified articles 370 and 35A of its Constitution that gavetemporary special privileges to Jammu and Kashmir."I think it (China'ssupport to Pakistan on Kashmir) is mostly diplomatic and politicalsupport," Shriver said."They (Chinese) have supported Pakistan in theinternational fora. There is some discussion about whether or not Kashmir wouldbe taken up in the UN, China would support that. But in terms of somethingbeyond that or more active, I don't see it," the top Pentagon officialsaid.China has a long-standing relationship with Pakistan, and they havegrowing competition with India, he said, adding that India seeks a stablerelationship with China.