AGRA: India has boosted security at the Taj Mahal after police said an extremist group reportedly warned of attacks in the country and threatened the 17th century monument to love.
Images published in local media showed a fighter in combat fatigues and black headgear at the Taj Mahal, India’s biggest tourist attraction, and the words “new target” as the backdrop.
“There have been no specific intelligence inputs or any official alerts, but going by media reports we have stepped up security at the Taj,” senior police superintendent Preetender Singh told AFP on Friday.
“Security drills are being carried out on a six-hourly basis instead of the usual daily drill.”
Members of the bomb disposal squad and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team have been deployed with additional personnel patrolling the Yamuna river which flows next to the Taj, he said.
India’s leaders say the IS group does not have influence in the country of over 1.2 billion people, which has a large but traditionally moderate Muslim population.
“Based on the inputs so far, we have beefed up the security and are fully prepared to handle any eventuality,” he said.
“The Taj is in safe hands.”
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