A terrorist group has threatened to carry out a suicide bombing attack involving 34 “human bombs” during Mumbai’s Ganesh festival, where millions gather to celebrate. In response, police have issued a high alert across the city.
According to NDTV.com, the threat was made through a phone call to Mumbai’s traffic police helpline, with the caller claiming to represent the group “Lashkar-e-Jihadi”.
The group stated that 34 vehicles carrying “human bombs” were placed at various locations in Mumbai, loaded with a total of 400kg of RDX explosives, capable of killing one crore (10 million) people. The caller also claimed that 14 terrorists had entered Mumbai from Pakistan to participate in the planned attack.
Following the threat, the police have ramped up their efforts, launching search operations across the city. However, by Friday afternoon, no suspicious activity had been detected.
According to Anandabazar.com, the police’s initial assessment suggests that the threat may be a hoax. Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, the Bomb Squad and special police units have been deployed to handle any potential threat during the Ganesh immersion ceremony.