Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and Kochi airports have been put on high alert following an Intelligence input that two suicide bombers will try to board two Air India flights scheduled for early morning departures on Saturday. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has alerted that the two bombers could board the Air India’s Ahmedabad-Mumbai and Mumbai-Kochi flights — the former scheduled at 4 am and the latter at 5.30 am.
The alert comes at a time when the Gujaratis are celebrating their New Year on Friday. Saturday also happens to be the auspicious Bhai Duj.
Due to the festive season, airports in Mumbai and Ahmedabad are crowded as Gujaratis generally go on short Diwali vacation after celebrating New Year at home and resume their work only after labh Pancham — fifth day of the New Year — Samvat 2071.
The letter to the concerned security agencies calls for thorough checks on all the flights from Ahmedabad and Mumbai right from Friday. It clearly indicated that the suicide bombers would board the morning flight from Mumbai to Kochi on October 25 at 5 am and insisted on conducting secondary security checks at Ahmedabad and Mumbai airports not only of Air India flights but all the flights.
Sources in the Ahmedabad Airport security said that the letter was received two days ago and security has already been tightened at both the terminals — Domestic as well as International. Anti-hijacking units have also been put on high alert and no passengers are allowed inside before necessary checks.
The Kochi international airport was also placed under tight security on Friday following the threat. According to AKC Nair, Director, Kochi Airport, they had received information from the Director, Airports Authority of India, Kolkata that there was threat to the Air India flight on the Mumbai-Kochi sector and on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai sector. “It is a threat of bomb attack or suicide attack,” he said.
Sources said the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had received an anonymous message on Thursday night stating that Air India flights on the two sectors would be sabotaged. A high-level meeting was convened this morning by CISF DIG Anand Mohan, who arrived in Kochi from Chennai, to review the security at the airport.
The sources said that the security agencies were equipped to meet any emergency and that the heightened alert would continue for at least 24 hours. Security arrangements at the airport and the perimeter entrance were tightened. Passengers and vehicles entering and leaving the airport premises were subjected to inspection.
A bomb-detection and disposal squad and a dog squad were deployed in addition to additional personnel of the CISF and the Kerala Police. The Quick Response Team was put on high alert. Passengers and others were subjected to two-layer security screening, airport authorities said, adding that the heightened security measures had in no way affected the flight operations.
Unconfirmed reports said on late Friday evening that security agencies, after detailed evaluation, had described the threat as hoax but sources at the Kochi airport said they were yet to receive any information in this regard.
Pratik Patel, a Kerala-bound tourist from Ahmedabad, however, said that he and most of the Gujarati tourists wouldn’t change their tour programme despite the news of suicide bombers.