Post News Network
New Delhi/Bhubaneswar, Jan 4: Security was tightened at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport at New delhi and other airports including Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) following Intelligence Bureau’s (IB) alert of a possible hijack of Air India flights going to Afghanistan.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which looks after the airport’s internal security, has been directed to remain on alert and intensify frisking of passengers including visitors entering the airports.
The CISF has been asked to monitor activities of every person including airlines staff across all airports.
“Flights going to Afghanistan are being monitored carefully,” CISF spokesperson Hemendra Singh said in Delhi.
Notably, the government has been taking a serious view of the threat as it has come at a time of heightened tensions on the Arabian Sea three days ago. A suspicious vessel from Pakistan blew up after being challenged by the Coast Guard off Gujarat coast.
The intelligence alert has come a day after the Kolkata airport received a threat from an anonymous caller to the Air India office at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport Saturday.
The hijack bid could be similar to the one in 1999, in which terrorists diverted IA flight IC 814 and to Kandahar and demanded the release of three terrorists from Indian prisons for the safe release of the passengers.
Bhubaneswar airport director Sharad Kumar told Orissa POST passengers of all 19 flights including four Air India flights being operated from BPIA are being frisked thoroughly and nothing would be left to chance to ensure concrete security cover.
“We have deployed security personnel at the apron area while CISF personnel in plainclothes are also keeping a hawk’s eye on suspicious activities,” he added.
