Motihari/Raxaul, Jan. 9: Raxaul Junction turned into a veritable fortress today after Hizb-ul-Mujahideen threatened to blow up the station by sending a fax to the Samastipur divisional headquarters yesterday.

High alert has been sounded in several railway stations on the Muzaffarpur-Narkatiaganj section of East Central Railway. Hundreds of passengers faced difficulty in commuting today because of the heightened security measures.

Rail superintendent of police Sheo Kumar Jha said: “Personnel from RPF and SSB apart from bomb diffusion and dog squads have been deployed at Raxaul Junction.”

Immediately after the fax was received, a search mission was launched that continued till this morning. According to S.N. Arya, the chief security commissioner of Samastipur, a three-day alert, starting today, was sounded based on intelligence inputs. Briefing on the inputs, Arya said Hizb militants had entered Raxaul through Nepal and were reportedly planning to blow up the station. He added that the terrorists might even travel to the national capital by any Delhi-bound train passing through Raxaul. Arya said: “Besides Raxaul, every important station on the Muzaffarpur-Narkatiaganj section, are on high alert. We are getting full co-operation from the local police. The security forces are fully prepared to meet any eventuality.” Sources said Hizb-ul-Mujahideen is planning the attack in retaliation against the arrest of their associates nabbed in Kathmandu last week.

No information on harassment caused to passengers because of checking or delay of trains was received. In Raxaul, many passengers missed Delhi-bound Saptkranti Express and Sadbhawna Express as well as Mithila Express because of checking at the stations.