Airports in India on high alert
2006-11-09 12:45
New Delhi - Airports across India were placed on high alert and stringent security checks ordered on Thursday after an airport in southern India received an anonymous letter warning of a terror attack by al-Qaeda militants, a news report said.
The security alert was issued after the director of a domestic airport in the southern Indian city of Trichy received the letter early on Thursday warning of imminent attacks at airports or an aircraft in southern India, Press Trust of India news agency said.
Authorities were investigating the letter - purportedly sent by an al-Qaeda supporter - that warned that 10 al-Qaeda terrorists would breach the security cordon at the airports and carry out the attacks.
Five airports in southern India have tightened their already tight security measures even further, PTI said.
Trichy is about 300km southwest of Chennai, the capital of India's Tamil Nadu state.
Authorities have included fresh security checks and a second frisking of passengers with metal detectors on the tarmac, just before they board the aircraft.
Officials from the Home Ministry, which is in charge of internal security, civil aviation authorities and Indian intelligence and security agencies met early Thursday to decide on measures that airports should take to thwart plans by terror groups, PTI said.
- AP