WASHINGTON: The United States published an alert on Tuesday for Americans travelling to India, saying Washington continues receiving reports that militant groups may be plotting attacks in that country.
The US State Department on December 9 alerted travellers to possible violence in India's strife-torn Andhra Pradesh region but did not mention, as it did on October 29, that it had reports that “terrorist groups may be planning attacks.”
The latest travel alert came amid heightened security concerns in the United States following an attempt to blow up a Detroit bound jetliner on Christmas Day claimed by an Al-Qaeda affiliate in the Arabian Peninsula.
Dated December 28, the State Department travel alert sought to inform US citizens of continuing security concerns in India.
“The US government continues to receive information that terrorist groups may be planning attacks in India,” the statement said.
“Terrorists and their sympathizers have demonstrated their willingness and capability to attack targets where Americans or Westerners are known to congregate or visit,” it said, referring to hotels and other public places.
Six Americans were among 166 people who were killed by 10 gunmen who targeted hotels, a train station and other locations in the Indian commercial capital of Mumbai in November last year.
India blames the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group for planning and executing the Mumbai siege.
The latest US alert also repeated information released December 9 about unrest in Andhra Pradesh.
“There is also the possibility of violence in the south-central Indian state of Andhra Pradesh as civil unrest continues over the contentious issue of statehood for the Telangana region,” it said.
It recommended “US citizens defer all non-essential travel to Telangana and certain parts of Hyderabad.”
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