Karnataka: Mangaluru Police releases photographs of suspect and the autorickshaw he was seen leaving in, in the CCT… https://t.co/NP1eSHXXJq — ANI (@ANI) 1579518486000

NEW DELHI: A high alert has been sounded at Mangalore Airport after two scares on Monday. In the morning, a bag with improvised explosive device (IED) components was found abandoned outside the terminal building. Later in the day, a bomb threat on an IndiGo flight from Mangalore to Bengaluru (6E-528) led the aircraft to be called back for checks after it had taxied out. Security agencies suspect the same person/s may be behind both these cases.Highly placed sources said Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel found a black bag at 8.45 am on Monday. The bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) immediately got cracking.“The bag full of nails contained all components of a low intensity IED — battery, wire, timer, switch, detonator and explosive. An alert has been sounded at Mangalore Airport. BDDS and police are searching the terminal building,” said sources.The CISF poured over CCTV footage of outside the terminal building. “One person approached the airport in an auto-rickshaw and kept the bag near booking counter of IndiGo. He left the airport in the same rickshaw. Air India booking counter is next to the IndiGo counter,” said a security official.Another official said: “It appears to be a crude IED, most probably very low intensity. Local police are determining the components.”Later in the day, an IndiGo flight to Bengaluru had to be called back for checks after it had taxied out when the airport received a threat call about a bomb on the aircraft, said an official. Comments from IndiGo have been sought and are awaited.“The same person/s may be behind both these cases,” said a senior security official.Mangaluru Police have released photographs of suspect and the autorickshaw in which the person was seen leaving in the CCTV footage, news agency ANI reported.