ISIS may target police personnel on COVID-19 duty - Sr cop/ Twitter: Delhi Police | Photo Credit: Twitter

New Delhi: At a time when the police force is selflessly working overtime ensuring strict adherence to coronavirus lockdown in the country, it is feared that ISIS may carry out an attack on Delhi police personnel deployed on duty in the national capital.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) said that the field staff will be briefed about a possible ISIS attack on personnel deployed for COVID-19 duty.

"Police personnel deployed at various pickets, barricades in Delhi in connection with maintaining of law and order in Delhi during the COVID-19 duty may be targeted by suspected ISIS operatives. The field staff may be briefed accordingly," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

A mammoth security blanket has been thrown around the national capital in light of the ongoing lockdown over coronavirus threat. The total number of coronavirus cases in the country touched 1376 on Tuesday as 146 additional infections were recorded in just 24 hours on Tuesday. While 124 people have been discharged, 35 deaths have been recorded so far.

While Kerala continues to record the maximum number of cases - 234, Maharashtra is second with 216. In what has put the Delhi Police under further stress, a religious gathering in national capital's Nizamuddin area has emerged as the hotbed of coronavirus cases in the country. On Monday, six people, who attended the event died of COVID-19 in Telangana. As of Wednesday, the number of those affected by COVID-19 after having attended the event rose to 93.

Police helpline gets 1200 calls in 24 hours

Delhi police received close to 1200 calls in just 24 hours since they set-up a 24-hour helpline to address queries related to the lockdown. While 60 calls were about calls having no food or money, 17 were about medical issues. The police have established a network with NGOs and RWAs to ensure delivery of food packets at more than 250 locations.

According to agency reports, as of Tuesday evening, 1.72 lakh people were fed through this network and the dry ration was delivered to 1810 people.