The advisory issued by the respective embassies urged their citizens and tourists to be highly observant. They go on to say avoid visiting crowded and popular shopping areas, as there are “increased indications” of “militant attacks in the capital.”
[Onkar Kedia, Spokesperson, Interior Ministry]:
"The Ministry of Home (interior) affairs is aware of the advisory. We have alerted the Delhi police and all the necessary steps are being taken."
A security ring has been thrown around the capital and large number sof policemen have been deployed at important places to avert any untoward incident and track down suspicious movements.
[Nirupama Rao, Foreign Secretary]:
"We (government) are seized of the matters and all the necessary precautions are put in place to ensure that such events or such risks are taken care of."
The U.S. advisory spoke of “increased indication that terrorists” are planning to attack some of New Delhi's markets frequented by foreigners.
A couple of these markets have been bombed in the past. In September 2008, a series of bomb blasts targeted busy shopping areas in Delhi, claiming 22 lives and wounding more than a hundred.
India raised security in the aftermath of a bombing that killed 17 people in western India in February, the first major attack in the country since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The alert underlines challenges for a city hosting the Commonwealth Games in October.