indian mujahideen keen to repeat 1999 hijack incident to free yasin bhatkal

New Delhi: Airports' security across the nation has been tightened after Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on Monday sent an alert to airport operators across India that Indian Mujahideen may hijack an aircraft in order to demand the release of its founder Yasin Bhatkal.

The alert said "recent inputs are indicative that IM operatives may organize the hijacking of aircraft or forcible intrusion at uncategorized, smaller airports which are vulnerable to demand the release of Yasin Bhatkal.''Keeping in view the threat, entry of visitors may be restricted and sale of visitor entry tickets may be banned from January 20 to 31.Authorities are keen to prevent a situation like the 1999 hijack of an Indian Airlines aircraft to Kandahar when the hijackers successfully negotiated the release of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar and two others.Measures to be taken include strengthening of anti-terrorist measures, checking of vehicles entering the car parking area to preclude the possibility of car bomb attacks.Bhatkal, the head of IM's Indian operation and an ace bomb-maker, has been grilled by interrogators ever since his arrest on the Nepal border on August 27, and is understood to have disclosed a wealth of information that could jeopardise the terror group's future projects.

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