Raigad, Maharashtra: The Indian Navy ended its security operations after the sighting of suspected terrorists on Friday, but the Maharashtra police and other agencies continue to be in a state of high alert.

The mystery continues over the sightings on Thursday of around five-six suspected terrorists, who were described by local school students as masked, wearing Pathani suits and carrying weapons, sending the entire security apparatus in a tizzy.

“Sanitisation of the naval areas has been undertaken. Indian Navy is maintaining close liaison with local police, other agencies for further updates, developments,” a Defence Spokesperson said here this evening.

About the state of alert, he said the Indian Navy maintains “a high state of alert/tight vigil at all times in consonance with the prevailing circumstances.”

Since Thursday, multiple security agencies have been keeping a hawk-eyed vigil to apprehend the unknown persons sighted in Uran town, and police later released sketches of two suspects.

Official sources in the state government said that the combing operations by local authorities are in the final stages and nothing worthwhile has been found so far.

However, the police will continue to remain in a state of alert in Uran town, which has a population of around 31,000, and the Uran subdistrict has around 140,000 people spread in 53 villages and four small towns, on the mainland around 50km from Mumbai.

Security at all critical and sensitive locations in Mumbai and adjoining Raigad, Navi Mumbai, have been beefed up, with police road blocks and vehicle searches. Fishermen were on the lookout in the Arabian Sea and aerial-surface combing operations were taken up in different areas.

At least two to four schoolchildren had reported spotting some unidentified persons — ranging from one to five — wearing masks, Pathani suits and carrying weapons at around 7am on Thursday.

They informed their teacher, who in turn alerted the police and the entire security apparatus swung into action within hours.

Schools, colleges, shops and establishments in Uran and surroundings remained shut for two days as security officials searched the area.

Returning from a trip to the US late on Thursday night, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appealed to the people not to panic as adequate security arrangements were in place in Uran.

Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale said that police and other security agencies have launched operations to trace the suspects.

“Till now, the version of two witnesses [students] could not be confirmed, efforts are on,” Nagrale said.

Meanwhile, a huge deployment of police was seen in parts of south Mumbai, and road blocks and checking of select vehicles continued overnight in an effort to detect the missing suspects.

Security has been intensified at Raj Bhavan, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, the BARC, DAE, Mantralaya and surrounding VVIP areas, key railway terminus and stations, prominent beaches like Girgaum Chowpatty and Juhu, various oil and fertiliser companies’ installations on the eastern coast of Mumbai, the naval harbour, and JNPT and MbPT, etc.

The two-day operations were described by security personnel as the highest ever state of alert after the November 26, 2008, Mumbai terror strikes.