High alert over possible terror attacks: Rajnath

In an advisory, the Home Ministry conveyed to the states that additional forces should be deployed in all sensitive places, strategic installations, markets, religious places and other key places to ensure security, an official source said. Metro cities were particularly asked to be extra vigilant. States touching the border with Pakistan -- Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat - were also directed to remain vigilant, sources said. The advisory has been sent in the wake of Thursday’s surgical strike by Indian army in terror launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Sources said there is high probability that Pakistani agencies may try to use the terror groups to carry out strike in Indian soil to avenge Thursday’s attack.

Pakistan army chief General Raheel Sharif on Friday warned that any “misadventure” by any “adversary” will meet the “most befitting response”, a day after India conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the LoC. “The highest state of vigil is being maintained along the Line of Control, Working Boundary and the international border,” General Raheel said.

Violating the ceasefire again, Pakistani troops opened fire from small arms along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor district. This is the fifth ceasefire violation in the month of September and the third in the past 36 hours.

A member of special operations team that carried out surgical strikes across LoC received minor injury during exfiltration but it was not due to any enemy or terrorist action, Army sources said on Friday, trashing reports in Pakistan about Indian casualties during the operation.

They said some Pakistani TV channels are playing “morphed” video clips showing Indian Army casualties as part of “black propaganda”. “One member of the team involved in Surgical Operation received minor injury during exfiltration. The injury is not on account of any enemy or terrorist action,” the sources said. The Indian Army sources said, in another incident, a soldier from 37 Rashtriya Rifles had inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan side of LoC in Mendhar Sector and Pakistan has been informed by the DGMO about it on the hotline. India Thursday said it carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the LoC on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, inflicting “significant casualties” on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK.

Soldier died in hospital: One more soldier injured in the Uri terror attack succumbed to his injuries at Army’s RR Hospital in New Delhi, taking the death toll to 19. The soldier died late on Thursday, sources in the Army confirmed. The soldier from Bihar Regiment Naik Raj Kishor Singh was being treated after he was brought from Srinagar. The martyr hailed from Piprpati village in Bhojpu district of Bihar. He is survived by his wife Kanchan Singh. Mortal remains of the soldier will be taken to his home for the cremation.