Mumbai Traffic Police Get Messages Threatening '26/11-Type' Attack, Fadnavis Says Govt Taking It 'Very Seriously'

Mumbai News: The number from which the messages threatening a "26/11-type attack" were sent to the WhatsApp number of Mumbai Traffic Police's control room, is suspected to be from Pakistan.

File Photo: The 26/11 Mumbai attacks were a series of terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008, when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, carried out 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days across Mumbai. In photo dated November 28, 2008, this fire at the Taj hotel occurred reportedly due to the grenade attacks. (File Photo: Getty Images)

New Delhi: Mumbai Traffic Police's control room received several text messages on the WhatsApp number of its helpline, threatening a "26/11-type" attack. Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Mumbai police said that they have taken the threat "very seriously".

According to news agency PTI, an official on Saturday said that the number from which the messages have been sent, prima facie, is from outside the country.

"Text messages were received on the WhatsApp number of the Mumbai police's traffic helpline operated from the control room located at Worli in central Mumbai around 11 pm on Friday," the official said.

"In the series of messages, the sender has threatened about a 26/11-type attack," he informed, adding that the city crime branch has initiated an investigation into it.

PTI reported Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar as informing that as per available information, the threat messages came from Pakistan.

The threat message states that 6 people will execute the plan in India, a police source told news agency ANI.

A threat message warning of a 26/11-like terrorist attack was sent to the WhatsApp number of Mumbai Police traffic control from a Pak-based phone number. The threat message states that 6 people will execute the plan in India. Probe underway: Mumbai Police source

— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2022

Maharashtra's Deputy CM and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "We have taken the case of the threat message very seriously. Agencies have been informed of all measures to investigate the threat matter."

Mumbai Police Not Ruling Out Any Possibility: CP Vivek Phansalkar

Mumbai Commissioner of Police Vivek Phansalkar briefed the media about the terror attack threat and informed that the texts said some of the threatener's associates are also active in India.

"The phone number from India could be hacked from Pakistan. Crime branch has started investigations to trace the number. In this context, registration of a case is underway at Borivali PS in Mumbai. We're sharing all the information we have so far with ATS Maharashtra," the police chief said, as quoted by ANI.

"Let me assure you that Mumbai Police will not take this case lightly, we are fully investigating the matter... we are not ruling out any possibility. We have launched the 'Sagar Kavach' operation and alerted the agencies to secure maritime boundary," he added.

26/11 attacks are one of the most horrific terrorist attacks in the country's history wherein 166 people were killed and over 300 injured as 10 heavily-armed terrorists from Pakistan created mayhem in Mumbai on November 26, 2008. 

(With Agency Inputs)