NEW DELHI : India has increased security at its airports and warned its domestic airlines about a possible hijack attempt by militant groups following Western intelligence reports, officials said on Friday.
The alert to India’s civil aviation ministry warned that flights of state-run Air India and other private carriers could be targeted by groups aligned to al Qaeda or other rebel groups.
The warning came from Western intelligence agencies on the basis of intercepts.
“We have intelligence inputs that there could be a hijack attempt of Indian planes,” U.K Bansal, senior home ministry official in charge of internal security.
“So we have alerted the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and tightened security in all airports in the country.”
The alert warns of flights from India or originating in countries neighbouring India — Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal or Sri Lanka — being specific targets.
A civil aviation ministry spokeswoman Moushumi Chakravarty confirmed the alert had been received.
“The information has been passed on to airport authorities and airline offices.
In December 1999, militants hijacked an Air India flight from Kathmandu to Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. It ended when New Delhi released four militants in exchange for 167 passengers and crew.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit said on Friday that India did not seem intent on composite dialogue with Pakistan, adding that it did not want to resolve core issues including water and Kashmir.
Abdul Basit maintained that Pakistan was a responsible state and answers Indian accusations through proper channel. He said India just look at terrorist incidents in its own territory and neglect terrorism in Pakistan. If Pakistan and India do not hold talks, it would be tantamount to the accomplishment of the terrorists’ agenda. Abdul Basit said US-India relations did not affect Pakistan unless they’re not against Pakistan’s interests.
The foreign office spokesman said India did not seem intent on initiating the composite talks with Pakistan. Pakistan wishes the commencement of the composite talks with India, not just a photo session, adding his country wants fruitful negotiations with its neighbor. The FO spokesman said if the negotiations were not jump-started, it would be a step forward towards the completion of terrorists’ agenda, adding it seemed India did not want peace in the region and was not serious in resolution of issues relating Kashmir and water. Abdul Basit said India wanted to dither the resolution of problems by abandoning the negotiations.
was first posted on November 20, 2009 at 10:10 pm.
ISLAMABAD: Security officials have confirmed that Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud was killed along with his wife and bodyguards in a missile attack two days ago, however, the Interior Minister has asked the media to wait for the official confirmation.
“We suspect he was killed in the missile strike,” Malik said on Friday while talking to newsmen here. “We have some information, the information from his own network, but we don’t have material evidence to confirm it.”
“Please observe patience and wait for the official announcement by the ISPR or other agencies. We are presently tracking the information we’ve received,” Rehman told the newsmen.
“There is no confirmation to his death as far as the evidence is concerned. I repeat again, yes, the information is pouring from that area that he is dead.”
Meanwhile, various security officials – asked not to be named – have confirmed off-the-record that Mehsud was among those killed in an attack in South Waziristan agency believed to have been carried out by a pilotless U.S. drone aircraft at around 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
U.S. officials have visual and other indicators it was Mehsud and Pakistanis are now trying to collect physical evidence to be certain, US news channel ABC reported earlier today.
The United States has placed a $5 million reward on the head of Mehsud, an ally of al Qaeda widely regarded in Pakistan as Public Enemy No. 1.
Meanwhile, it was also reported that Intelligence agents had also picked up signs that leaders of various Taliban factions were gathering for a shura, or council meeting, somewhere in Waziristan to chalk out future strategy.
NEW DELHI : India has increased security at its airports and warned its domestic airlines about a possible hijack attempt by militant groups following Western intelligence reports, officials said on Friday.
ISLAMABAD: Security officials have confirmed that Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud was killed along with his wife and bodyguards in a missile attack two days ago, however, the Interior Minister has asked the media to wait for the official confirmation.
