Police issues terror alert in Mumbai

MUMBAI: Mumbai Police on Friday searched for four men who are believed to be entered into the city to carry out a terrorist attack. The authorities issued a terror alert for the city.

According to joint police commissioner, Himanshu Roy, the police have received credible information that at least four men belonging to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group have entered the city and were planningP to strike during the holiday season.

However, despite checkpoints and some road closures, traffic and activity in most of the city was normal on Friday.

`The four men are planning violent attacks that are going to cause destruction,” Roy said. ``The four have recently arrived in Mumbai. We believe the threat is serious.''

The police department put additional men on patrol duty at public places and released computer photographs of the four suspects. Roads were also closed near the Taj Mahal hotel and Gateway of India.

The Mumbai police said they prevented a major terrorist strike In March after they arrested two Indian men, who were preparing to hit several targets in the city.

Then in September, police issued a terror alert for the city. Police said they had information that two militants were planning a terror strike and that the men were acting on directions from handlers in Pakistan.

India has called on Pakistan to crack down on terrorists thought to be operating from their soil. Lashkar-e-Taiba is banned by Pakistan's government but it still thought to have support in Pakistan's powerful military and intelligence community.

In the 2008 Mumbai attack, several gunmen laid siege to two luxury hotels — including the Taj Mahal — a Jewish centre, a popular restaurant and Mumbai's crowded main train station.