'Watch out, 2 terrorists on prowl'

The Maharashtra government sent out an unprecedented terror alert for Mumbai, with Chief Minister Ashok Chavan saying two suspected terrorists had sneaked into the city and may strike during Ganeshotsav, the 10-day festival that began on Friday. HT reports.

The Maharashtra government sent out an unprecedented terror alert for Mumbai, with Chief Minister Ashok Chavan saying two suspected terrorists had sneaked into the city and may strike during Ganeshotsav, the 10-day festival that began on Friday.

HT Image

The city has been put on high alert, key religious spots and vital installations barricaded, and Ganpati mandals told to keep all vehicles at least 500 metres away from the pandals.

The Mumbai police have released the photographs of the two suspects — Kalimuddin Khan alias Rameshwar Pandit (28) and Hafiz Khijir Ulla Sharif (25) — urging citizens to look for them and inform the department on two helplines set up for this purpose.

"The Centre has given us inputs. We are sharing this serious information with the media because we want people to be on high alert," Chavan said.

Joint commissioner of police (Crime) Himanshu Roy said the suspects were "of foreign origin" but did not specify which country they belonged to.

Officials in the security establishment in New Delhi said one was a Pakistani, and the other a Bangladeshi.

"They could be linked to the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba or the Harkat-ul-Jihad," the officials said.

"We believe they have access to weapons."