No Al qaeda presence in India: Govt

New Delhi, Dec 14 (UNI) In view of the Israeli goverment cautioning its citizens about the ''concrete threat of Al Qaeda attack' on tourists in Goa, the Centre today clarified that there was no report of the terror outfit's presence in the country.

''We do not have any report of Al Qaeda presence in the country,'' a home ministry spokesman said here today.

The clarification was made in view of reports of Israel government issuing an advisory to its citizens visiting Goa during the Christmas holidays about the ''concrete threat'' of an al Qaeda attack and advising them against travelling to the popular beach area.

In a travel advisory on its Hebrew-language Web site, Israel's Foreign Ministry said, ''Within the framework of al Qaeda's terror threats in India, there is now a concrete threat focusing on the Goa region where multitudes of visitors, including Israelis, gather ...

in late December.'' It said Israel's Counter-Terrorism Authority recommended Israeli citizens to stay away from sites in Goa popular with Westerners and Israelis over the next few weeks. Nearly 400,000 tourists flock to Goa's beaches and palm groves during the peak October-March season.

Earlier last month, authorities had decided to strengthen security in Goa after intelligence agencies warned of a ''Bali-like'' attack, referring to the 2002 bombings that killed 202 people, many of them foreigners on vacation.

Goa's police chief, saying federal agencies did not want to take any chances, had denied at the time there was any specific threat against the region.

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