New Delhi: With intelligence inputs warning of a terrorist strike, particularly a suicide attack through impersonation, to disrupt Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi, an elaborate security blanket covering ground and air would be in place on August 15 as Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee unfurls the national tricolour at the historic Red Fort.

Air traffic in Delhi and some of its adjoining areas will be suspended for six hours from 4.00 am (IST) on August 15 and two helicopters will maintain an aerial surveillance as part of air-defence measures to prevent any terror strike like the September 11, 2001 attack in US, special commissioner of Delhi Police (Security) S K Kain told a press conference on August 13.

"Some recent inputs indicate plans of terrorist outfits like Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e- Mohammad (JeM) to disrupt this year's Independence Day celebrations," he said, adding the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, some prominent Sangh Parivar leaders and sensitive installations were on the target list.

Pointing out that the recent attacks on pilgrims and Army camp in Jammu have "added to the grim situation", he said LeT could "react and strike in Delhi" following sentencing of three of its terrorists here recently.

PTI