Hijack threat: Delhi airport, Air India's Kabul flight get additional security

After a specific alert from the intelligence agencies about flights from India being targeted, security has been beefed up at the Delhi airport and other airports across the country.

Airport authorities have received inputs regarding the possibility of a Delhi-Kabul flight operated by Air India being targeted by hijackers and as a result additional security checks for passengers and crew have been introduced, reported the Times of India.

Image for representational purposes only. PTI

Ground staff has been asked to throughly check the cabin baggage of passengers and in addition to this staff will also be carefully checked, commandos will patrol areas adjoining the airport and the number of flight marshals on the flight will be also be increased, the report said.

The alert reportedly said that the hijacking could be carried out in a manner similar to that of 1999 hijacking of IC 814 in which hijackers flew the aircraft to Kandahar in Afghanistan.

The heightened security comes after a threatening call to the Air India office in Kolkata on Saturday in which the caller said that an aircraft of the airline would be hijacked but didn't specify which one.

Source http://www.firstpost.com/india/hijack-threat-delhi-airport-air-indias-kabul-flight-get-additional-security-2029179.html