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Hafiz Saeed, Musharraf blame India for Peshawar carnage

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Bomb hoax keeps Gurgaon on edge

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After Sydney, Peshawar terror strikes, Centre alerts states on lone-wolf attacks

Police and bomb squad personnel inspect the Huda City centre Metro station premises after a hoax bomb call. (PTI photo)

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Read this story in Hindi

दिल्ली के दो होटेल और आगरा हाइवे पर खतरा

NEW DELHI: Intelligence agencies have sounded an alert regarding Pakistan-based terror mastermind Hafiz Mohammad Saeed ’s designs to unleash attacks in India. The warning, generated by the multi agency centre (MAC) on Tuesday, flags the possibility of Saeed’s outfits, Lashkar-e-Taiba or Jamaat-ud-Dawa, targeting two hotel lobbies in the national capital as well as an unspecified location on the Delhi-Agra highway .The alert cites Saeed’s statements, published in Pakistani newspapers on Tuesday, saying that Indian intelligence agencies would carry out attacks in India, and then blame them on Pakistan’s ISI .In the wake of the Peshawar attack, sources say Delhi Police and other agencies have been told that the Samjhauta Express, Delhi-Lahore bus, two hotels here and iconic government buildings including 7RCR, prominent tourist spots, offices of security agencies, embassies and malls are likely to be targeted.Intelligence agencies have also warned of a serious threat from SIMI members, who, they claim, have the capability to carry out attacks in most parts of the countrA senior officer said that other important places likely to be targeted in Delhi include metro stations with heavy footfall, prominent schools, busy markets and iconic restaurants/cafes. Delhi Police has reportedly been asked to stay on high alert till January end, since US President Barack Obama will visit the capital to attend the Republic Day celebrations.The MAC warning issued on Tuesday coincided with a home ministry advisory asking all states and UTs to remain on high alert until the end of January. The latter cited a possible terror threat from a group of SIMI activists who had escaped from Khandwa prison last year, LeT and Pakistan-based Indian Mujahideen fugitives, besides indicating the possibility of a lone-wolf attack by an ISIS sympathizer. The vulnerable targets mentioned included places with high footfalls, public transport including railways and schools, in particular.Stating that the Sydney hostage situation and recent developments with regard to ISIS in both India and west Asia indicated the heightened possibility of a terrorist attack in India in the light of Obama’s Republic Day visit, the home ministry asked security forces and intelligence agencies to remain “on a very high alert mode”.“Such attacks can only be prevented if the Central and state intelligence agencies mobilize all resources and assets at their disposal and focus on collecting actionable intelligence,” said the advisory.Pak Taliban's depraved revenge leaves 132 schoolchildren dead in PeshawarGunman, 2 hostages killed as cops storm Sydney cafe to end 16-hour siegeDrawing attention to Tuesday’s Peshawar school attack, the home ministry stressed on the need to immediately scale up security around schools and “vulnerable” educational institutions. Mock drills may be conducted as per the existing standard operating procedures, it suggested.Apart from asking quick response teams and bomb disposal squads to remain in a state of readiness, the advisory sought conducting of mock trials to check efficiency and status of equipment, weaponry etc. It stressed on the need for coordination among the police, local administration, health department and transport department.