The Union government on Friday ordered further strengthening of security at all airports and deployment of sky marshals on certain flights.
The directive came after intelligence inputs from security agencies and the Ministry of Home Affairs warned of a possibility of terror groups hijacking a flight operating from a South Asian country.
The level of security to counter the threat perception had been upgraded and the agencies in-charge of civil aviation security had taken all necessary steps, including the strengthening of anti-hijacking measures and the introduction of stepladder frisking, said the spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Ministry, which sounded the red alert.
“As per practice, intelligence agencies inform the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on various inputs from time to time. Based on such inputs, the airlines security department, headed by a senior IPS officer, coordinates with various governmental agencies, including the BCAS and the Central Industrial Security Force to take the requisite measures,” the spokesperson said.
Para-military forces have been ordered to be deployed at strategic points at sensitive airports as well as around vital installations.
Air India confirmed it had initiated action at the airports concerned to counter any possible threat. Its spokesman said the carrier would like to assure its passengers that they need not have any apprehension with regard to security as adequate measures were in place. Air India’s security standards were, incidentally, regarded as among` the finest in the industry, the spokesman pointed out.
Airports have been in a state of maximum alert over the past one month when the festival season set in.
Sources in the Home Ministry said the intelligence agencies received “credible indications” that terror groups might hijack a flight operating from any of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation nations to India. The red alert comes three days prior to the Republic Day across the country and close on the heels of U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates’ caution to India that there is a threat of the terror syndicate in the region trying to trigger a war between India and Pakistan.
Source : http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/23/stories/2010012360900100.htm
The directive came after intelligence inputs from security agencies and the Ministry of Home Affairs warned of a possibility of terror groups hijacking a flight operating from a South Asian country.
The level of security to counter the threat perception had been upgraded and the agencies in-charge of civil aviation security had taken all necessary steps, including the strengthening of anti-hijacking measures and the introduction of stepladder frisking, said the spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Ministry, which sounded the red alert.
“As per practice, intelligence agencies inform the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on various inputs from time to time. Based on such inputs, the airlines security department, headed by a senior IPS officer, coordinates with various governmental agencies, including the BCAS and the Central Industrial Security Force to take the requisite measures,” the spokesperson said.
Para-military forces have been ordered to be deployed at strategic points at sensitive airports as well as around vital installations.
Air India confirmed it had initiated action at the airports concerned to counter any possible threat. Its spokesman said the carrier would like to assure its passengers that they need not have any apprehension with regard to security as adequate measures were in place. Air India’s security standards were, incidentally, regarded as among` the finest in the industry, the spokesman pointed out.
Airports have been in a state of maximum alert over the past one month when the festival season set in.
Sources in the Home Ministry said the intelligence agencies received “credible indications” that terror groups might hijack a flight operating from any of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation nations to India. The red alert comes three days prior to the Republic Day across the country and close on the heels of U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates’ caution to India that there is a threat of the terror syndicate in the region trying to trigger a war between India and Pakistan.
Source : http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/23/stories/2010012360900100.htm
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