PESHAWAR, Dec 23: Six platoons of the Frontier Constabulary and personnel of the Frontier Reserve Police were called in to help the city police provide security to foreign missions, foreigners and churches in Peshawar on the occasion of Christmas and New Year festivities, official sources said.

The police had enhanced patrolling in the city and a special plan had been chalked out for additional force at 10 main churches, foreign missions, US fast food outlets and foreign NGOs in the city, the sources told Dawn here on Tuesday.

“We have reinforced security at the main installations in the city,” they said adding that 400 policemen and 60 women police staff were added to the existing police force to strengthen the security.

Six platoons of the Frontier Constabulary and personnel of the Frontier Reserve Police had been called in to help strengthen the security, they added.

Eleven male and four women police staff would stand alert in rotation at main churches. The police had enhanced patrolling in Shadand suburb area, Circular Road, Kohati Gate, Lal Kurti, Tipu Sultan Road, R.A. Bazaar, Bihari Colony, Chiraghabad, Yousufabad and University Town localities where these churches were situated, the sources maintained.

A security red alert has been declared to cope with any untoward incident following the arrest of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.