India arrests guerillas 'planning parade attack'

Indian police said yesterday they had arrested a cell of heavily-armed Muslim guerillas who had been planning to attack the spectacular annual Republic Day parade through New Delhi today.

"The level of security alert is now on maximum," Ashok Chand, Deputy Commissioner of Police, told Reuters.

He said three members of the Pakistan-based guerilla group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is fighting Indian rule in disputed Kashmir, had been detained in the capital along with three kilogrammes of high-grade explosive.

Mr Chand said rocket-propelled grenades, detonators and timers were also recovered from the militants, who he said had plans to attack the parade.

Helicopters and armed commandos will maintain air and route surveillance during the Republic Day parade, on anniversary of India's birth as a republic in 1950. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is to be the chief guest.

Caches of arms and ammunition were also seized by Indian soldiers in Muslim-majority Kashmir, where Indian forces have been fighting a rebellion for more than a decade.

Muslim separatist guerillas have often attacked festivities in Kashmir to mark Indian Independence Day and Republic Day in the past.

A statement from the Indian army said soldiers recovered 12 rockets, 112 grenades, eight bombs, 40 kilogrammes of explosives and ammunition from militant hideouts in Kashmir.

"These dumps were probably planned to be used by foreign terrorists to disrupt the ongoing peace process and create terror on January 26 (today)," the statement added.

"Level of security, mobilisation (of troops), surprise checks, frisking has been intensified," said K. Srinivasan, a senior official of the Border Security Force in Indian Kashmir.

Many separatist groups in Kashmir, including the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference, have called for a strike today to protest against Republic Day celebrations. Security forces have boosted surveillance and blocked eroads around Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium, the site of today's celebrations.

New barricades have been erected and the terraces of high rise buildings have been taken over by sharpshooters from the security forces.

Indian soldiers and police searched passengers on buses around Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir state, witnesses said.

Violence has continued in Kashmir despite peace moves by India and Pakistan, who have fought two of their three wars over the region.

The neighbours have agreed to resume bilateral talks next month over a range of disputes, including Kashmir.

Last week, the leaders of the moderate faction of Hurriyat met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani for unprecedented talks aimed at ending the revolt.