AMRITSAR/CHANDIGARH: An alert has been sounded in Punjab’s border districts of Amritsar, Pathankot and Gurdaspur following the terror strike on an army camp at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed the lives of 17 jawans on Sunday.

HT PHOTOThe Border Security Force is keeping a close eye on any movement from across the fence after the terrorist attack on an army base at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir.

Tight vigil is being maintained near key installations, including the Pathankot Air Force base that had come under attack by militants earlier this year and near Indo-Pak border areas, police said.

The Border Security Force (BSF) has heightened security along the Indo-Pak border and at Attari checkpost, where thousands of tourists come every day to witness the retreat ceremony.

A BSF official told HT: “Troops have been alerted and vigil along the border has been heightened. More troops are being sent to the sensitive areas along the border in the Amritsar sector.” The vigil along the riverine border belt in the Ajnala sector has also been beefed up.

“An alert has been sounded in border districts of Pathankot and Gurdaspur in light of the terror attack in Uri,” Pathankot senior superintendent of police Rakesh Kaushal said. Police patrolling has been strengthened near sensitive areas in and around the city and vehicles coming from and going towards Jammu are being thoroughly checked, police said.

“We have also increased the number of police checkpoints in and outer parts of the city,” he said.

Earlier this year, terrorists who had sneaked in from across the border had attacked the Pathankot airbase on the intervening night of January 1-2 while Dinanagar in Gurdaspur was targeted on July 27 last year.

The Pathankot attack had claimed the lives of seven security personnel while four terrorists were killed.

Three heavily-armed terrorists wearing army fatigues had stormed a police station in Dinanagar town in Gurdaspur district last year killing seven persons, including a superintendent of police, before they were gunned down during a day-long operation.