'High alert' puts Varanasi Airport security on toes

Varanasi, Dec 9 (UNI) Security at the Varanasi Airport has been heightened following a nationwide 'high alert' sounded by intelligence agencies to all the airports about a possible plane hijack to free Mohd. Afzal -- sentenced to death for the December 13, 2001 parliament attack.

The security at the Airport has been enhanced, particularly through increased stress on vehicular checks, passenger frisking, routine X-ray monitoring and enhanced security deployments and patrolling on the city side -- the area edging the Airport, sources said here today.

Special Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) of the CISF, entrusted with the task of providing crack security at the airport have been put on maximum alert.

The CISF officials at the Airport, confirming that a ''high alert'' has been sounded to the Aiport as part of nationwide security alert at aiports said that security arrangements at the Varanasi Aiport have been intensified and patrolling and security presence stepped up on roads edging the aiport.

Two months back, a similar security alert had been sounded by the central intelligence agencies especially in Varanasi, Kolkata and New Delhi airport about a prospective hijack of Nepal bound flights by LeT ultras hiding in the Himalyan Kingdom to free Mohd.

Afzal.

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