January 10, 2008 14:31 IST
The Centre will provide a close proximity cover of elite "Black Cat" commandos from the National Security Guard (NSG) to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in the wake of threat perception from Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The sweeping changes come amid reports of the militant outfit planning to carry out a fidayeen (suicide) attack on the chief minister who has vowed to stamp out terrorism in the state.
A senior official of the state government's home department said a decision to replace the existing ITBP guard by NSG commandos had been taken. The commandos would be providing security along with the specially trained officials from the State Security Group (SSG).
Sources in the state government said that there were several intercepts to suggest that Lashkar had been planning to carry out the suicide attack on the chief minister.
The security forces had also arrested a jawan of the Border Security Force in September last year, who had been claiming in his telephonic conversations with Lashkar commanders that he could be of help in carrying out the assassination plan.
