November 13, 2006 02:00am Article from: Agence France-PresseFont size: + - Send this article: Print Email INDIA renewed a high security alert at its airports following a warning that the al-Qaeda terror network could try and hijack US-bound passenger flights. “We sounded an alert after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) forwarded an email that spoke of the possibility of an al-Qaeda attempt to hijack US-bound flights from India,” a home ministry official said.
The official, who did not wanted to be named, said the email written by an “unknown entity” appeared to have originated from India and was received by the FBI Saturday at its headquarters in the US.
“While the 'target' was US-bound flights, the nature of threat mentioned in the email was 'hijacking”', he said.
“All airlines have been asked to request passengers to cooperate with the enhanced security and to reach airports a little ahead of time,” the Press Trust of India quoted an unnamed official as saying.
The heightened measures included last-minute special checks before embarkation, increased security around airports and extra baggage screening.
India tightened security on Thursday at airports in the southern cities of Coimbatore, Madurai, Chennai, Bangalore and Thiruvanthapuram.
The move came after the discovery in Chennai airport of a letter written in the local Tamil language warning of car bomb attacks by the al-Qaeda network.
