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| Indian airports on hijack alert | Indian airports on hijack alert |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Indian airports are on high alert after authorities warned airlines about a possible hijack attempt by Islamic militant groups, officials say. | |
| The civil aviation ministry said the high alert status was raised on the basis of Western intelligence reports. | The civil aviation ministry said the high alert status was raised on the basis of Western intelligence reports. |
| Reports said the state-run Air India or other private carriers could be targeted by groups linked to al-Qaeda or the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. | Reports said the state-run Air India or other private carriers could be targeted by groups linked to al-Qaeda or the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. |
| The warning comes just days before India's annual Republic Day on Tuesday. | The warning comes just days before India's annual Republic Day on Tuesday. |
| India has issued a number of terror alerts in the past few years. | India has issued a number of terror alerts in the past few years. |
| 'Security tightened' | 'Security tightened' |
| "We have intelligence inputs that there could be a hijack attempt of Indian planes," news agency AFP quoted UK Bansal, a senior home ministry official as saying. | "We have intelligence inputs that there could be a hijack attempt of Indian planes," news agency AFP quoted UK Bansal, a senior home ministry official as saying. |
| "So we have alerted the ministry of civil aviation and bureau of civil aviation security and tightened security at all airports in the country." | "So we have alerted the ministry of civil aviation and bureau of civil aviation security and tightened security at all airports in the country." |
| The alert warns of flights from India or flights originating in neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Nepal or Sri Lanka being specific targets. | The alert warns of flights from India or flights originating in neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Nepal or Sri Lanka being specific targets. |
| A spokesman for the civil aviation ministry, Moushumi Chakravarty, confirmed the alert had been received. | A spokesman for the civil aviation ministry, Moushumi Chakravarty, confirmed the alert had been received. |
| "The information has been passed on to airport authorities and airline offices," AFP quoted her as saying. | "The information has been passed on to airport authorities and airline offices," AFP quoted her as saying. |
| Although officials did not name any specific militant group, media reports named groups linked to al-Qaeda or Lashkar-e-Taiba. | Although officials did not name any specific militant group, media reports named groups linked to al-Qaeda or Lashkar-e-Taiba. |
| India blames the deadly Mumbai attacks of November 2008 on Lashkar-e-Taiba. The group has denied any involvement in the attack. | India blames the deadly Mumbai attacks of November 2008 on Lashkar-e-Taiba. The group has denied any involvement in the attack. |
| In 1999 an Air India flight from Kathmandu was hijacked by Islamic militants and taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan. | In 1999 an Air India flight from Kathmandu was hijacked by Islamic militants and taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan. |