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Pakistan thwarts new hijacking plot
PAKISTANI authorities have uncovered a plot by a small terror cell to hijack a plane en route to the United Arab Emirates and possibly blow it up, the prime minister said today. "Probably there is a group of four to six persons who might try to hijack a plane, and in particular going toward UAE," Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali said in an interview from his official residence. Jamali said intelligence indicated the men wanted to "blow it up or do something".There was no indication when the plot was due to be carried out, or if it involved al-Qaeda. Jamali would not speculate on whether the hijackers were Pakistanis or foreign elements. "Hijackers have no nationality," he said. Details of the plot came a day after Pakistan announced it was beefing up security at 35 airports nationwide. No flights were cancelled because of the alert, but security was put on its highest level, Jamali said. "Naturally when one gets some hint about (a plot) or one gets a feeler or is informed directly or indirectly, I think this high alert is a must," Jamali said. Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Rauf Chaudhry said that a Pakistani intelligence agency had issued the warning. He also would not reveal whether the men were believed to be al-Qaeda. Chaudhry said airports nationwide continue to be "on red alert". No arrests had been made. Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-05-05 |
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