Airports asked to be on alert over hijack threat

Jun 12, 2010 - Age Correspondent |

New Delhi

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on Friday asked airports across the country to be on high-alert following an alert sent by the Mumbai police on Thursday night about possible attempts by terrorists to hijack aircraft to demand release of terrorist Ajmal Kasab.

“Airport authorities have been told to be extremely vigilant but no formal alert has been issued,” civil aviation ministry sources said. Sources said that the Mumbai police had issued an alert to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) — that guards major airports across the country — that a terrorist group had put up messages on a website about the possibility of aircraft being hijacked to demand the release of Ajmal Kasab.
The terror message was reportedly put up on the website on May 11.
Clearly, the government does not want to take any chances on security and is doing its utmost to ensure that no hijack can be attempted by terrorists.
The government is anxious to avoid a repeat of the Kandahar hijack 11 years ago when the then NDA government was forced to release terrorists.

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