New Delhi : Security agencies are on maximum high-alert after intelligence inputs revealed LeT's dangerous new plan to use paragliders to conduct an air borne terror attack on Republic Day.
As per Home Ministry sources, LeT has acquired more than 50 paragliding equipment from Europe and is biding time to carry out an attack.
What makes the threat more credible is that it follows another report � based on intelligence inputs � that LeT and the al Qaeda are planning to hijack an Indian plane.
Sensing the gravity of the situation the Home Ministry has ordered security agencies to conduct mock drills to counter the possible threat.
On the hijack threat, the government has put all Air India planes operating in the South Asia region on high security alert and directed the deployment of sky marshals.
A directive has also been issued to all Indian missions abroad to sensitise the staff of the airlines, official sources said.
According to intelligence inputs, terrorist groups having allegiance with al Qaeda, Lashker-e-Toiba and Jamat-ul-Dawa were planning to hijack an Air India plane especially operating in or from SAARC countries — Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India as well.
Hijacking could be attempted by the terrorists from airports located at Yangon, Dhaka and Colombo. Security of planes operating to Bhutan has also been beefed up, the sources said.
Following this input, the Civil Aviation Ministry has directed all the airlines especially Air India to take extra steps besides asking Bureau of Civil Aviation Security to deploy sky marshals on aircraft operating on such routes, the sources said.
On its part, the External Affairs Ministry has asked Indian missions, particularly in SAARC countries, to brief the staff of the Air India and other Indian carriers about the threat.
Bir, surrounded by tea gardens and an amphitheatre of low hills in Himachal Pradesh
ReplyDelete, is an ideal landing ground for para-gliders. Bir has Buddhist monasteries that are worth visiting. Fine Tibetan handicrafts are also produced here. Billing, up in the hills 14 km from Bir with an arena of 200 km for high altitude and cross country flying, is one of the best aero sports sites in the country.