Centre issues alert for Mumbai, Ahmedabad, security beefed up

New Delhi/Mumbai, Dec 21 (PTI) The Centre on Tuesday
sounded a terror alert for Mumbai and Ahmedabad following
specific Intelligence inputs that Pakistan-based
Lashkar-e-Taiba teams may have entered the two western cities
to carry out strikes.

Security forces launched "house-to-house" searches in
some specific areas in Mumbai while additional forces were
deployed in all sensitive and crowded places, including
markets, religious places, bus and railway stations in the two
cities.
The police forces of the two cities have been put on
high alert and specific instructions issued for taking all
possible steps to foil any attempt by LeT terrorists to
disturb peace, official sources said in New Delhi.
The Intelligence inputs suggested that LeT teams have
already entered Mumbai and Ahmedabad and may strike any time,
the sources said.
In Mumbai, Police Commissioner Sanjeev Dayal said
"extensive" security measures have been put in place
and an alert has been sounded in the city in the wake of
inputs of terror threat ahead of Christmas and New Year
festivities.
"There are conscious efforts by terror organisations to
target foreigners during these two festivals here," he said.
Security agencies have also mounted strict vigil
especially in view of the visit of Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev to the country's financial capital tomorrow.
Security has also been stepped up in the view of visit
by Medvedev and President Pratibha Patil tomorrow, Dayal said.
"We have been continuously receiving inputs from
intelligence agencies about possible terror strikes. We are
analysing these inputs and taking things very seriously,"
the city police chief added.
Security agencies in the city are co-ordinating with
each other to avert any terror attack, he said.
Dayal also appealed to citizens to remain alert
and not to panic.PTI ACB
PBL