Govt orders thorough check of cargo coming from Yemen, Somalia

Government has directed all air and sea ports and the postal department to thoroughly check any cargo coming from Yemen and Somalia in the wake of detection of two US-bound parcel bombs sent from Yemen in an alleged al-Qaeda plot.

Government has directed all air and sea ports and the postal department to thoroughly check any cargo coming from Yemen and Somalia in the wake of detection of two US-bound parcel bombs sent from Yemen in an alleged al-Qaeda plot.

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The instruction, which has come into effect from midnight last night, has been sent to all air and sea ports besides Department of Posts asking them to thoroughly check all freight arriving from Yemen and Somalia.

"Since India has witnessed many terror attacks in the past, we don't want to take any chance," a Home Ministry official said.

Several countries, including the United States, Canada and Germany have banned freight services from the Arabian peninsula country after two parcel bombs addressed to Jewish institutions in Chicago and containing the lethal explosive PETN hidden in ink toner cartridges were uncovered on Thursday on cargo planes en route to the US.

Government also does not want to take any chance as US President Barack Obama will arrive in the country on November 6 on a three-day visit.