Qaeda, LeT can strike in India during WC matches

Terror groups Al Qaeda and the Lashkar-e-Taiba are looking for opportunities to target the ongoing World Cup cricket matches in India and vital oil installations along the coastline, prompting the home ministry to sound a nation-wide alert.

A foreign intelligence agency has conveyed to India that some members of an operational cell of the terrorists could already be in the country, possibly entered via Nepal, and some more may arrive soon.

"A collateral input reveals that Al Qaeda operatives involved in the attacks could travel to India via boat, possibly in the next few months and that these operatives could be well acquainted with maritime travel to reach their targets in quick time and could be Urdu-speaking from the Punjab province of Pakistan," the advisory sent by the home ministry to states said.

The home ministry said that as per the input, the terrorists also have plans to carry out attacks in India during the ongoing World Cup cricket competition.

The Centre has asked the states to beef up security along the coastline, oil installations and all world cup venues.

Indian Navy, Coast Guard, coastal police of the states and coastal villages have also been alerted.

The recent inputs indicated that LeT group affiliated to Pakistan-based Zabiuddin Ansari has been looking for information on chemical compounds and the venues of the World Cup cricket matches in India where these chemicals can be used for fabrication of improvised explosive devices.

"Keeping in view the threat from Al Qaeda, LeT and other groups which have plans to carry out attacks in India in the near future, you are advised to track the whereabouts and monitor the activities of Indian Mujahideen (IM) absconders as well their associates hailing from your states," the MHA advisory said.

Interestingly, the foreign intelligence agency also shared the information with Pakistani authorities and asked them to take necessary action if they found anyone suspicious.

The home ministry asked the states to take note of the inputs and accordingly plan the security arrangements being made for the world cup matches, oil installations and the forthcoming assembly elections in five states to avoid any untoward incident.

The Al Qaeda, which has close ties with a number of terrorist groups that had earlier carried out attacks in India, has extended support for terror attacks in India in the next few months.

Intelligence agencies also suggested that Zabiuddin Ansari and his terrorist associates had in October 2010 done research in explosive chemicals and the processe used in the manufacture of detonators, explosives and household items that can be used to trigger blasts.

The terrorists also studied all the eight world cup venues in India.

According to the inputs, the terrorist group which has already entered the country could have a strength of 6 to 15 members.

Union Home Secretary Gopal K Pillai has already spoken to the DGPs of a few states, including Maharashtra and Gujarat, and asked them to tighten security in all vital installations.

Security in refineries in Jamnagar, Mumbai, Mangalore and Kochi, sea ports of western coasts, particularly Mundra and Mumbai, have been intensified.

Indian Navy and Coast Guard have intensified vigil in the sea and are providing additional security to offshore oil installations and vessels containing oil.

All coastal villages have been alerted and asked to inform the authorities if any of their fishing boats finds any suspicious activities in the sea.

The government is also in the process of putting up transponders in small fishing boats for verification of vessels and fishermen.

Some transponders have already been installed in some bigger vessels.