The Central government has sounded an alert at airports across the country after intelligence inputs warned of a possible terror attack against aviation assets. Though the Bureau of Civil Aviation and Security first received an alert a couple of days ago, intelligence agencies on Thursday reiterated the warning, prompting a security beef-up at key airports, including the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi and Mumbai's Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport.
According to the latest intelligence alert, aviation assets could be targeted by terrorist elements in the immediate future. The alert follows a warning from American agencies that terrorist groups might surgically implant a bomb into human beings and place them on direct flights to the US.
"This is new intelligence about a possible technique that could be used...however there is nothing to indicate an imminent threat," a senior US security official was quoted as saying. The US based Transportation Security Administration had recently briefed air carriers and foreign partners to provide greater insights into recent intelligence indicating the continued interest of terrorists to target aviation, its spokesman Kawika Riley told the US media.
"The idea that terrorists have been looking for other ways to circumvent security measures in order to target aircraft is not at all surprising," White House press secretary Jay Carney told mediapersons in Washington. The heightened communications and activities by the US, it is learnt, are in response to a potential threat, but there is no specific information about an imminent threat coming from a particular area.
"Such a threat is likely to come from overseas rather than domestically, but precautionary steps are being taken internationally and in the US," the official said. It is understood that all countries including India with airports that have lastpoint-of-departure flights to the US have been alerted with the latest intelligence input gathered by the US, which continues to be the prime target of terrorists across the world, especially those based in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Since the Mumbai and Delhi airports have flights having last-point-of-departure to the US, it is logical that tightened security might be experienced by passengers at these two Indian airports as a result of the latest terror alert.
According to the latest intelligence alert, aviation assets could be targeted by terrorist elements in the immediate future. The alert follows a warning from American agencies that terrorist groups might surgically implant a bomb into human beings and place them on direct flights to the US.
"This is new intelligence about a possible technique that could be used...however there is nothing to indicate an imminent threat," a senior US security official was quoted as saying. The US based Transportation Security Administration had recently briefed air carriers and foreign partners to provide greater insights into recent intelligence indicating the continued interest of terrorists to target aviation, its spokesman Kawika Riley told the US media.
"The idea that terrorists have been looking for other ways to circumvent security measures in order to target aircraft is not at all surprising," White House press secretary Jay Carney told mediapersons in Washington. The heightened communications and activities by the US, it is learnt, are in response to a potential threat, but there is no specific information about an imminent threat coming from a particular area.
"Such a threat is likely to come from overseas rather than domestically, but precautionary steps are being taken internationally and in the US," the official said. It is understood that all countries including India with airports that have lastpoint-of-departure flights to the US have been alerted with the latest intelligence input gathered by the US, which continues to be the prime target of terrorists across the world, especially those based in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Since the Mumbai and Delhi airports have flights having last-point-of-departure to the US, it is logical that tightened security might be experienced by passengers at these two Indian airports as a result of the latest terror alert.
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