Rain Soaked Mumbai on high alert following Terror Threat

Security agencies in the country’s financial capital, Mumbai, have been placed on high alert following a warning from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) that terrorists are planning a sea-borne attack not withstanding the rough weather conditions, reports said on Wednesday. The terror threat is among the most serious ones the maximum city has faced in the past two years; with the IB identifying at least seven places in Maharashtra that may be targeted by the extremists. Among these seven possible targets are a reputed bank in Mumbai, several key Railway stations, malls and five-star hotels, reports added.

"We have increased our vigil at some banks in the city and also railway stations following the IB warning on July 8," Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Naseem Khan said here today.

According to police sources, vigil has been increased at railway stations like Churchgate, Dadar, Andheri (on Western line) and a few on the Central Railway's Harbour line in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

The threat comes even as the city and its civic agencies continue to battle the heavy rains that have kept Mumbai on tenterhooks for the past three days. The administration had even issued a flood warning on Tuesday after the Mithi river crossed the danger mark, but the water levels have now subsided.

Reports said the IB issued the alert on July 8 and also dispatched photographs of the seven ‘targets’ to the security agencies. The IB alert also mentioned four dates on which terrorists plan to carry out the attacks, sources said.

The alert comes in the wake of several reports and Home Minister P Chidambaram’s warning that terrorists based in Pakistan could carry out an attack similar to the ones witnessed in the city from November 26 to 29 last year.

The Coast Guard has already stepped up patrolling along the western coast following intelligence inputs of a possible terror strikes in states like Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat.

"Following the receipt of the intelligence inputs that there was a possibility of attack through the sea route, three Offshore Patrolling Vessels have been patrolling the western coast," Coast Guard sources said.

Sources said the IB issued the July 8 alert following disclosures made by a terror suspect nabbed in Jammu and Kashmir. The police had also recovered photographs of targets in Maharashtra from the suspect.

The IB however has no specific information about how many terrorists could be part of the possible attack.

Apart from last year’s Mumbai terror strikes – the deadliest terror attacks India has ever witnessed, the city was rattled on July 11, 2006 as well when co-ordinated blasts rocked seven local trains, killing 188 people.

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