Israeli security officials are combing the Indian state of Goa this week after a terror alert was issued that warned Islamic terrorists are looking to target Israeli and Jewish targets there, the Times of India reported Sunday.
A National Security Guard commando provides cover fire as his colleagues descend from a chopper to the roof of the Chabad House in Mumbai.
Photo: AP
The Times reported that Chabad houses in Goa have been placed under police scrutiny, out of fear that terrorists will strike, as the anniversary of last year's Mumbai terror attacks that left over 170 dead approaches.
During the Mumbai attacks, terrorists stormed the Chabad house in Mumbai and killed six people, including envoys Rabbi Gavriel Holzberg and his pregnant wife Rivka. The couple's son Moshe, 2, was rescued by his Indian nanny.
The Times report adds that India Navy and Coast Guard ships are patrolling the country's entire west coast. The perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks arrived in the city from Pakistan after landing on the shore in rubber dinghies. Both Mumbai and Goa are on the country's west coast, with Goa 600 kilometers south of Mumbai.
Goa has for years been a very popular destination for Israeli backpackers, and is famous for its all-night beach parties and trance music scene.
A spokesman for Israel's Foreign Ministry said Sunday that he had heard nothing of any change in travel advisories or new security advisories for India, and the ministry Web site showed no indication any new, more severe warnings for India had been issued.
The report comes following the issuing in mid-October of a severe travel warning by the Counter-Terrorism Bureau of the National Security Council, which said in mid-October that the threat of attacks against Israeli travelers in India has seriously increased.
The ChabadIndia.com Web site had a message posted Sunday that said that the organization's branches in India were "not alarmed by the recent warnings" and expressed their regret that the warnings had "caused some Jews not to come, but we are celebrating nonetheless."
The message adds that Chabad has increased its security arrangements in collaboration with local security forces.
On Sunday, Indian Army Chief of Staff Gen. Deepak Kapoor arrived in Israel for talks with top defense officials, a trip Israeli officials are hoping will boost military ties between the two countries.
