NEW DELHI: While the serial blasts that rocked the Capital are still fresh in the minds of Delhiites, Police Commissioner K.K. Paul on Monday said intelligence inputs indicate that terrorist outfits are planning to carry out "fidayeen" attacks in the run-up to the Republic Day celebrations here in the Capital on January 26.

"There have been general inputs about possible suicide attacks in Delhi. However, things are being taken care of. The police are gearing up for the Republic Day celebrations and people from all walks of life are being sensitised," said Dr. Paul at a New Year get-together organised at Delhi Police Headquarters here.

Dr. Paul said the police were sharing intelligence inputs with their counterparts in neighbouring States as part of the security arrangements for Republic Day.

The district police heads have been directed to hold meetings with residents' welfare associations, property owners and vehicle dealers.

"Carrying out searches for suspected militants has become almost a daily routine for us now," said a senior police officer.

It is learnt that the police have lately received specific inputs on movements of militants belonging to Al-Badr, a splinter group of the terrorist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen that mostly comprises foreign mercenaries. Nearly a dozen suspected militants belonging to Al-Badr and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) are now under the scanner of intelligence agencies.

Inputs suggest their possible involvement in a conspiracy to carry out a terrorist attack in the Capital. Al-Badr traces its origin to an extremist group with the same name based in Bangladesh.

While Al-Badr is known for targeting mainly government installations and officials, LeT has lately been targeting buildings and institutions of economic significance to weaken India's burgeoning economy. The same outfit, which relies on highly educated "jehadi" elements, is suspected to have masterminded the recent attack at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, in which a former professor with the IIT Delhi, M.C. Puri, was killed.

Keeping in view the changing strategy of the dreaded outfit, the police have made special security arrangements for prominent institutions across the city. "Soon after the Bangalore attack, a general alert was sounded here," the police officer added.

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