Kanpur airport security beefed up

Security at Kanpur airport has been intensified after officials received a letter threatening to blow up the complex when the Pakistan cricket team arrives in Kanpur next month.

Airport officials received a handwritten letter signed by someone who called himself Noor Baqsh about five days ago, but chose to keep quiet until senior district officials made it public Tuesday evening.

"We are trying to track down the source of the letter, which makes it loud and clear that the intent of the terrorist outfit is to arouse communal passions and escalate tensions between India and Pakistan," Kanpur senior superintendent of police Rajeev Sabharwal told IANS.

The Pakistan cricket team is scheduled to visit this Uttar Pradesh city for a one-day international (ODI) Nov 11.

Sabharwal has already held closed-door meetings with top officials of the airport authority and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) entrusted with security of airports across the country.

As Kanpur airport is also an Indian Air Force (IAF) base, senior officials of IAF have also been consulted.

Airport security officer Manmohan Kumar said: "We have intensified airport security and will leave no stone unturned to ensure safety of this place."