Hijack warning puts all airports on high alert

New Delhi, Dec 9: Airports across the country were put on highalert today after a warning that a plane flying to Europe or the UnitedStates could be hijacked to Bangladesh by Pakistan-based terrorists toseek the release of Mohammed Afzal Guru.

Additional security measures were put in place following intelligence reports, said an official at the civil aviation ministry.

She said the Intelligence Bureau (IB) had received reports of apossible hijack attempt on December 7. The Bureau of Civil AviationSecurity (BCAS) was informed and all airports are on alert now.

Guru was sentenced to death for his involvement in the December13, 2001 attack on Parliament. The five gunmen who stormed theParliament House were shot dead by security guards while ten otherpeople lost their lives in the encounter.

Some days ago, a letter warning of imminent attacks at airports oron aircraft in southern India prompted officials to issue a securityalert for airports there. The letter was sent to the director ofdomestic airport in Trichy.

UNI

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