New Delhi, December 31: Four major industrialised countries – the United States, the UK, Australia and Canada – believe that India is high on the hit-list of terror groups and ahead of New Year they have issued travel advisories warning their citizens of more attacks in India.
The US advisory says that terror groups may be planning attacks on targets frequented by foreigners in India.
“We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in India at this time because of the high risk of terrorist activity by militant groups,” teh advisory by US government said.
Canada’s alert warns of high risk of terrorism throughout India while Australia, too, has asked its citizens to exercise caution while visiting India.
“We continue to receive reporting of possible threats against prominent business and tourist locations, including in Mumbai and New Delhi,” the Australian advisory cautioned.
The website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK government has also issued a similar warning saying that there is a likelihood of future attacks in India at places frequented by Westerners.
The US and UK advisories follow previous ones complaining about New Delhi’s new visa regulations which require tourists to maintain a two-month gap between the time they exit the country and re-enter it.
Indian security agencies view the new alerts as “retaliatory”. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna had on Wednesday dismissed the alerts saying that many foreigners visit and India and they need not fear.
“Let me scotch all speculative reports that India is a country infested by terrorists. I would like to reject this totally. You find thousands of foreigners who have been freely going about wherever they feel like. I would like to assure the foreign tourists, visitors and others that they don’t have to worry about it,” Krishna said in New Delhi on Wednesday.
—Agencies