NEW DELHI/AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat coast has been put on high terror alert following inputs from central intelligence agencies that Pakistan-trained commandos with underwater strike capabilities may try and enter the Gulf of Kutch through the “Harami Nala-Sir Creek area”.According to intelligence inputs shared with state agencies as well as ports in the vicinity — Deendayal Port Trust (earlier Kandla Port) and Mundra managed by Adani Ports — “Pakistan-trained commandos are likely to enter the Kutch area through Harami Nala, Khavda or nearby areas”.The alert comes in the wake of heightened tensions after the scrapping of J&K’s special status and Pakistan’s bellicose calls against India. Indian agencies have warned against attempts to increase infiltration of terrorists across the Line of Control. Also, on August 27, Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh spoke of an intelligence alert about Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) having raised a maritime wing and training underwater saboteurs.Vital installations in the Kutch area include oil refineries, including those owned by Reliance Industries, Mundra and Deendayal ports, and major power plants. Besides, the revered Lord Krishna temple at Dwarka, thronged by pilgrims through the year, is located there.The busy Gulf of Khambhat could be another tempting target for jihadis. Terrorists used the sea route to carry out the 26/11 attack on Mumbai — a Lashkar-e-Taiba operation which stunningly laid bare the vulnerability of India’s maritime defence against highly motivated and trained jihadis.Some 50 vessels are sailing in the Gulf of Khambhat right now, besides 100 larger vessels and 300 dhows in the Gulf of Kutch, a Gujarat Maritime Board official said.Sources in central agencies told TOI that “frogmen” — who form the marine wing of Pakistani terror outfits like Jaish — are trained to swim long distances and use equipment meant for underwater approaches.“Such training enables them to approach vital installations from the sea or river or water bodies. Given that most security is focused on blocking terrestrial approaches, this is a loophole terrorist organisations attempt to exploit,” said an intelligence functionary.The official, however, added that India, after the 26/11 attacks that were triggered by 10 Lashkar terrorists who traversed the Arabian Sea from Karachi in boats to reach Mumbai, has upgraded its defences at all sea-facing vital installations with water-borne security and technology. “We now have full capability to foil such attempts,” he said.Various Gujarat government bodies directed that security measures be enhanced after inputs were received from central intelligence agencies. While police officials claimed that the inputs dated to August 2, multiple sources said similar inputs were also generated more recently. D B Vaghela, IG (border range), said such inputs were generated over the past month.“The Border Security Force and the Indian Coast Guard are on high alert and security measures have been enhanced at ports. We are also carrying out surveillance activities on land,” he added.Some inputs suggested Pakistan was building up its army and navy forces at Iqbal Bajwa port and Cheti Bandar, Vaghela said.Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, based on the intelligence alert, issued an urgent circular requesting “all stakeholders to institute preventive measures to mitigate hostile attacks and assume the highest state of readiness and be vigilant towards any attempts to breach our coastal security”.A security advisory issued by Adani Ports on Wednesday asked all ships at Mundra port to take utmost security measures, maintain vigil and report any suspicious activity to the marine control station and port operation centre immediately. A similar advisory was put out by Deendayal Port Trust.Gujarat Maritime Board, the regulator of all non-major ports in the state, deployed state reserve police personnel at ports under it, said Captain Ashwin Solanki, GMB chief nautical official. “All vessel traffic management system stations are monitoring all sea traffic and any suspicious activity will be immediately reported,” Solanki said.The ports have directed shipping agents to inform their vessels and maintain a watch and report suspicious activity to the Coast Guard, marine police stations or port control rooms.Earlier this month, central intelligence agencies had issued an input about four potential terrorists having entered India using passports issued in the Kunar province of Afghanistan..