No bomb on Indian flight, say SL airport authorities
Colombo, Oct 24: No bomb was found on the Vistara flight which received a threat call minutes before it landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport here on Thursday, authorities said. The airport authorities said they declared a full emergency response to a bomb scare reported on the Colombo-bound Vistara flight from Mumbai. “A non-specific call on a bomb threat was reported to the flight before landing at BIA. Accordingly, the security agencies and relevant authorities adopted all precautionary and preventive measures,” a statement said. The flight with 107 passengers, one infant, and eight crew on board landed safely at the airport at 1455 hours, the statement said. “All passengers were safely evacuated from the aircraft to the passenger terminal,” it said. (PTI)
Two held in SL for ‘planning’ terror attack on Israelis
COLOMBO, Oct 24: Two persons have been arrested in Sri Lanka on suspicion of planning a terror attack on Israeli nationals in the country after India provided intelligence on the possible threat, police said on Thursday. Security was beefed up in the eastern coast surfing resort of Arugam Bay following information about a possible attack in the area. Two persons have been arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Division of the police. Both arrests have come as a result of Indian intelligence information sharing over the security alert in Arugam Bay, police said. One of the suspects had arrived in the country from Iraq, it said. The police said it had received information on October 7 on a possible attack and the security was strengthened in the areas two weeks ago, the police said. The Indian alert had said the attack could take place between 19 and 23 October. (PTI)
Security forces kill 9 militants in Pakistan
Peshawar, Oct 24: Pakistani security forces killed nine terrorists, including two suicide bombers and a “high-value” terrorist, during an operation in the country’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Thursday.
The intelligence-based operation was conducted late on Wednesday in the Bajaur district of the province, according to the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). After a fierce gunbattle, the law enforcement agency personnel killed nine terrorists. Among those killed were two suicide bombers and a terrorist ring leader who was a high-value target, the ISPR statement said, adding that the slain militants remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces and civilians. (PTI)