The Hyderabad police is on high alert after intelligence reports that terrorists are planning a major strike in India, probably in a southern city.
The Hyderabad police is on high alert after intelligence reports that terrorists are planning a major strike in India, probably in a southern city.
Police intensified frisking in the capital of Andhra Pradesh, conducting surprise checks on a Hyderabad-bound train and rounding up 15 persons for questioning in Khazipet, 140km north of the city.
Fresh checkposts were put up in Hyderabad in the afternoon. Though frisking and security checks have become part of life in the city on Fridays, police are far more serious this time, especially as Hyderabad has seen three major terrorist attacks in the recent past.
According to a source, there are inputs about three to 10 terrorists, possibly suicide bombers, slipping into the city. The terrorists are said to be aged 20 to 25 and are fair complexioned. But there was no confirmation of the inputs.
Police commissioner D Prasada Rao refused to give details but confirmed that there were inputs about three terrorists entering India and planning to attack southern cities. “Hyderabad being an important city in the South, we are taking precautionary measures,” he said. “Frisking is part of that exercise.”
The city police are checking all hotels and residential areas in sensitive parts of the city.
Sources said the city police and the state intelligence had been noticing the movement of some “inspired elements”.
It is suspected that the sleeper cells in the city will now hit the road to cause violence.
The police conducted flash checks on the Andhra Pradesh Express coming from New Delhi at Khazipet, around 140km from Hyderabad, on a tip-off that terrorists may be on board. Police rounded up 15 people for questioning in Khazipet.
Police also recovered weapons from the Dakshin Express at Jangaon, another railway station near Hyderabad, early on Thursday.
Ten persons carrying the weapons are believed to be in custody. Some of them are said to be soldiers.
Police officers, however, are downplaying the situation for now.
“We don’t want to create panic,” one officer told DNA.
“At the same time, we want everyone in the city to be vigilant and keep an eye on their surroundings. It is a fact that there are some inputs, but they are not specific as yet.”
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