Tuesday, 26 February , 2008, 12:51
Hyderabad: Hyderabad was put on terror alert on Monday evening after a warning from the central intelligence agencies that two terrorists have entered the city to plan attacks. The Andhra Pradesh capital has seen a number of such alerts since 53 people were killed in two terrorist attacks last year.
The police launched a manhunt following the warning that the terrorists may try “something different” this time. Policemen here and in adjoining Cyberabad have been checking vehicles and frisking commuters at several traffic junctions since Monday evening. However, the police have not yet detained anyone. No description of any terrorist has been available till now.
According to police sources, the central agencies told the state police that the terrorists were moving around with specific plans to carry out attacks. They reportedly told the police the two terrorists had disappeared after crossing the border into India and had arrived in Hyderabad.
The police have stepped up security at public places, key installations and intensified patrolling in crowded localities. Security has been beefed up at the state assembly, which is currently in session; the Hitec City, which houses many IT giants and at tourist centres.
The Andhra Pradesh capital was rocked by three bomb blasts last year. While nine people were killed in a blast during Friday prayers at the historic Mecca Masjid on May 18, two near simultaneous blasts at a park and a famous eatery on August 25 claimed 44 lives.
The police blamed Pakistan-based Laskhar-e-Toiba and Bangladesh-based Harkatul-Jihad-e-Islami for the blasts and arrested about 20 suspects. Since then, the city has been put on alert on a number of occasions with intelligence agencies of the centre and other states regularly providing inputs about possible terror attacks.
The latest warning came after the arrest of a few suspected militants in neighbouring Karnataka. The arrested people include Riazuddin Nasir, a native of Hyderabad, who reportedly revealed the plan to carry out attacks in the city. Nasir reportedly revealed plans to crash an explosives-laden jeep into the office of the Director General of Police here and use of petrol tankers to blow up targets.
Last week, eight people were arrested from Bangalore-bound Gorakhpur Express at Secunderabad railway station here on suspicion that they hailed from Bangladesh and were connected to terrorist outfits.
However, investigations showed they hailed from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and were proceeding to Bangalore in search of work.
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