Security beefed up at Taj Mahal, vital installations in UP

Lucknow, Oct 9 (IANS) Security has been heightened at Taj Mahal, many other important places, tourist spots and government installations across Uttar Pradesh following an Intelligence Bureau (IB) alert of a potential threat by terrorists, officials said on Sunday.

Additional security has been deployed at the Taj Mahal in Agra, the biggest draw for foreign and domestic tourists, officials said.

Officials informed that 36 extra commandos have been deployed at the Taj Mahal, on the outer periphery, in and around the entry points.

Other than this, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel who guard the world famous monument of love, have also been alerted on the possibility of a terror attack, a senior home department official said.

As the festival season is underway and Durga Puja, Dusshehra and Muharram are on the anvil, security has also been beefed up in important cities like Lucknow, Agra, Kanpur, Moradabad, Bareilly, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Varanasi and Allahabad, a police official said.