Indian PM warns of more likely terror attacks
INDIA: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Tuesday
that intelligence agencies had warned more terrorist attacks were
likely, possibly on economic and religious targets as well as on nuclear
installations.
Singh's comments came nearly two months after a series of bombs on
commuter trains in Mumbai, India's financial hub, killed 186 people. The
attack was blamed on Islamist militant groups with links across the
border in Pakistan.
India has since been on a heightened security alert, with fears of
more attacks across the country, particularly in New Delhi and Mumbai,
and at airports after British police last month said they foiled a plot
to bomb trans-Atlantic flights. "Concern about the increasing activities
of externally inspired and directed terrorist outfits in the country is
justified," Singh told an internal security meeting.
"Intelligence agencies warn of a further intensification of violent
activities," he told the meeting attended by chief ministers of states
and top federal security officials.
The attacks could be carried out by suicide bombers and also target
Indian army camps and other vital installations such as nuclear plants,
he said.
"Reports also suggest that terrorist modules and 'sleeper cells'
exist in some of our urban areas, all of which highlight the seriousness
of the threat." Tuesday's conference aims to discuss and fine-tune
security strategies to tackle terrorism and insurgencies across the
country as well as improve coordination between New Delhi and the
states.
Besides terrorism, the meeting is expected to discuss the revolt
against Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, Maoist
violence across a swathe of eastern, central and southern India and
insurgencies in the troubled northeast.
Singh said although there were signs of improvement in Kashmir over
the past two years which coincides with the launch of peace talks
between India and Pakistan it was necessary for New Delhi to maintain
its guard as "anti-India" elements continued to whip up emotions.
New Delhi, Tuesday, Reuters |