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India on Alert for New Year's Attack


Police stop foreign tourists to check their belongings at a security checkpoint outside the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai 24 Dec, 2010. Police have launched a manhunt for four men they said belonged to a Pakistan-based militant group and had entered M
Police stop foreign tourists to check their belongings at a security checkpoint outside the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai 24 Dec, 2010. Police have launched a manhunt for four men they said belonged to a Pakistan-based militant group and had entered M

Indian authorities are increasing security after receiving what they say is information of a planned terrorist attack during New Year's celebrations.

Officials said Tuesday they have intelligence suggesting that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba is planning an attack during the celebrations on Friday or Saturday.

Additional security forces have already been sent to airports and train stations across the country, while police in Mumbai conducted house-to-house searches.

Security has also been increased for the beach resort state of Goa.

Officials said they are bolstering security at sites visited by Pakistani-American David Headley, a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative who helped set up the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

India blames Lashkar-e-Taiba for those attacks, which killed 166 people.

This is the second time in recent weeks that India has beefed up security.

India issued a warning last week after getting intelligence that Lashkar-e-Taiba was preparing an attack to coincide with the December 25 Christmas holiday.

Indian police have also been hunting for four alleged members of the Pakistan-based militant group said to have entered Mumbai to carry out attacks.

Some information for this report was provided by AP.

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