Terror attacks on schools: US authorities claim to receive alert in November

NEW DELHI: The US authorities are claiming to have received an alert on possible terror attacks on schools across the globe almost a month ahead of the strike on the Army school in Peshawar, prompting the American embassies to tighten security in schools run by them, including the one in Delhi, besides alerting other educational institutions as well.

The American Embassy School (AES) in the national capital is among several international schools around the world which were alerted by the US about possible terror strikes on students and teachers, US government sources said. However, it’s not known whether any input was shared with the Pakistani authorities about any attack.

Sources in the Indian government claimed that they did not receive any alert from their American counterparts in November about possible strikes on any school in India. In the past, US authorities have tipped off their Indian counterparts on possible terror strikes. Security at Indian schools were beefed up only after the ghastly attacks on Peshawar school on December 16 that killed 148 people – mostly students and teachers.

The AES in Delhi was alerted around November 20 good 25 days before the strike in Peshawar -- by the US Embassy here after it received a tip-off about the terrorists’ plan to target schools from the US security agencies.

The AES, located near the US Embassy in Central Delhi, houses 1,500 students from nursery to 12th grade. Around 37% of the students are Americans