A bomb threat email, warning of a possible attack by the terrorist outfit Al Qaeda at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), was received by Delhi Police on Saturday evening. The police and other security forces agencies have also beefed up security as email warned of an attack in the next one to three days.
However, the threat was later found to be ‘non-specific’ and the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) was terminated from the airport, after a search on Saturday evening. “An extra alert has been sounded and all security measures have been enhanced,” said an IGI official.
According to sources, an email was received by police at around 5:50 PM on Saturday following which police alerted the airport and the Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC), with checks carried out on the airport premises.
“The email stated that Karanbir Suri alias Mohamad Jalal and his wife Shaily Sharda alias Haseena are coming to India on Sunday from Singapore and plan to put the Bomb on IGI in one to three days,” said IGI in a statement.
On receiving the bomb threat email, the Security Operations Control Centre (SOCC) at the IGI airport also found out that a similar threat message was received in the recent past. The earlier message received in March also carried the names of the same couple and a similar language detailing the bomb threat.
“As per standard operating procedure (SOP), the airport took all security measures and informed all concerned agencies and put duty personnel on high alert. The SOCC also carried out an anti-sabotage check at all terminals of the IGI airport. Security checks at all access control points and vehicle parking points and at entry nakas were also intensified, according to the airport authorities,” stated the IGI statement.
“The BTAC was convened to examine the bomb threat. However, the threat was declared non-specific at about 7:18 PM on Saturday, following which the BTAC was terminated around 7:22 PM,” the statement further added.