PM holds war room meet; reviews security, defence

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chaired a high-level war room meeting in New Delhi on Saturday evening with senior ministers and defence chiefs to discuss the security preparedness.

The meeting lasted for over two hours and discussed the country's security preparedness and selective strikes on terror camps across the border.

Defence Minister AK Antony, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram and senior armed forces officials including all the three Service chiefs attended the meeting.

The marathon meeting assumes significance as there is heightened terror threat and tension with Pakistan and the Union Government has already declared that it is keeping all options open on dealing with any external threat following the Mumbai terror attacks carried out by Pakistani terrorists.

Earlier in the day, the Defence Minister AK Antony presided a separate meeting with Coast Guard and Defence Ministry officials to review the security of Indian coastline where he cleared the acquisition proposals for the sea-guarding agency.