MUMBAI, 7 October 2007 — Following a tip-off from federal Intelligence Bureau (IB) on Friday, that six hard core terrorists have slipped into Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad and would execute human bomb terror attacks on vital installations, security was beefed up to the maximum in all the three cities.
A 4,000 strong posse of Mumbai policemen carried out security checks at both the airports in the city, searched vehicles entering the city from different checkpoints, railway passengers were frisked at a large number of railways stations, all hotels and lodges were also searched throughout Friday and the same was being carried out yesterday too.
According to the federal Intelligence Bureau, two human bomb shields had entered Mumbai, one in Pune and three in Hyderabad. All the human bomb shields are Pakistani nationals and are suspected to have sneaked into Mumbai from the Indo-Bangladesh border, the IB said in its communication to the police in these three cities.
The IB report of the human bombs triggered panic and the Mumbai police and other security agencies were placed on a state of full alert, as the terrorists were likely to create terror acts during the nine-day Hindu festival of Navratri beginning from Oct. 12.
The police sealed the Western Express Highway in Malad for quite some time and thoroughly checked vehicles. Metal detectors were placed at railway and bus terminals and passengers had to pass through them. Some suspects were taken into custody for interrogation.
Sources close to state intelligence agencies said that the six human bombs that are said to have entered Mumbai are Pakistani nationals and members of the Harkatul Jihad-e-Islam (HUJI) terrorist outfit and were sent to disturb communal harmony during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and the Hindu festival of Navratri.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Dhananjay Jadhav is in New Delhi to attend the seminar on financial terror and Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria and other senior police officials were reluctant to give a official version to the entry of human bombs in Mumbai.
