India: Mumbai Cancels Holidays for Police as It Sounds Alert Over Terror Threat

Mumbai, the financial capital of India, has faced several terrorist attacks since 1990, in which over 1,500 people have lost their lives. The coastal city houses the country's western naval command headquarters, stock markets, and head offices of most firms.

Mumbai Police have cancelled its entire workforce's holidays because of a tip-off about a possible terror attack on Friday.

Intelligence information suggests that "Khalistani elements"— a Sikh movement, are likely to carry out terrorist attacks in the city.

"In view of the alert in Mumbai, tight security has been deployed at major railway stations in Mumbai. Tomorrow more than 3,000 railway officers will be deployed", Quaiser Khalid, the commissioner of police, Mumbai Railway, said.

With a population of about 20 million, half of them living in congested slums, the city is guarded by just a little over 40,000 police officers.

The alert comes days after intelligence information indicated pro-Khalistan elements being behind the bomb blast at the Ludhiana court complex last week. One person was killed and four others were injured in the explosion.

Indian security forces had comprehensively defeated the terrorist movement for Khalistan in 1993. Still, intelligence reports believe that the movement h as picked up momentum since 2018 with the help of Pakistan-based outfits and some non-resident Indian Sikh groups who continue to propagate the ideology of Khalistan.