In a significant decision to boost security across Indian airports, the Director General of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has issued an official memorandum on Friday, temporarily extending the role of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as the Aviation Security Group (ASG) to provide additional security cover to Cargo operations and the In-line Hold Baggage Screening System (ILHBSS).
The arrangement came into effect on Friday and will remain in place till May 18. The decision was taken amid the escalating India-Pakistan tensions following India’s retaliatory response after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The enhancement of CISF`s mandate is essential to reinforce security arrangements at all civil airports, a press release by the CISF stated.
As part of the new mandate, CISF personnel have resumed supervision of cargo and baggage screening operations, as well as assumed authority over access control at these sensitive areas. The force has also been empowered to conduct random checks to bolster aviation security further.
“All the airports under cover of CISF have already implemented the new strengthened system,” the official statement read. Until now, CISF’s responsibilities did not explicitly include direct involvement in the security of cargo and ILHBSS operations.
This decision introduces an essential secondary layer of security checks aimed at safeguarding civil aviation amid a heightened threat environment amid the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions.
PIB debunks fake claim of Delhi-Mumbai flight route closure amid border tensions
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check unit has refuted claims that the Delhi-Mumbai airline route is temporarily closed, according to a report by news agency ANI.
The PIB, in a social media post, labelled the claim as “fake” and clarified that the Delhi-Mumbai airline route remains operational. It further noted that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has extended the temporary closure of 25 Air Traffic Service (ATS) route segments within the Delhi and Mumbai Flight Information Regions owing to operational reasons.
“It is being claimed that there is a temporary closure of services on the Delhi-Mumbai airline route. This claim is fake,” the PIB stated. “The Airports Authority of India has extended the temporary closure of 25 segments of Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes within the Delhi & Mumbai Flight Information Regions due to operational reasons,” the post added, according to ANI.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence reported that drones have been sighted at 26 locations along the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC). These include Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota, and Jammu in Jammu-Kashmir; Ferozepur, Pathankot, and Fazilka in Punjab; Lalgarh Jattan, Jaisalmer and Barmer in Rajasthan, and Bhuj and Kuar Bet in Gujarat, reported ANI.
In Ferozepur, an armed drone targeted a civilian area, resulting in injuries to a local family. The injured individuals have received medical attention, and the area has been sanitised by security personnel.
In response, the Indian Armed Forces have heightened their alert level, actively tracking and engaging aerial threats using counter-drone systems. The Defence Ministry emphasised that while there is no immediate cause for panic, citizens, especially those in border areas, should stay indoors, avoid unnecessary movement, and follow all safety advisories issued by local authorities.
(With ANI inputs)
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