IED found near ticket counter at Mangaluru airport

MANGALURU: Tension ruled the day after components of improvised explosives device (IED) were found in an unattended backpack at a ticket counter near the departure gate of Mangaluru International Airport on Monday.
Action began around 8.45am when officials of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) — in charge of airport security — found a black backpack lying unattended about 50 metres from the departure gate.They swung into action, cordoned off the area and reported it to the police. The bomb-disposal squad carefully picked up the suspect bag and took it to a field at Kenjar, 3km from the airport, and detonated it through a controlled explosion by burying the bag in sandbags around 5.35pm.

For nearly nine hours when the bag with suspected explosives was taken to an island area for detonation, panic gripped flyers arriving and departing from the airport. However, passenger services at MIA remained unaffected.
The improvised explosive device (IED) was reportedly packed in an iron box that contained a timer and wires, and it had about 1.5kg of silver powder used in manufacture of crackers.
Bommai: Cops have clues, all state airports on high alert
CISF authorities said the accused placed the backpack near the ticket counter and later hit the exit road where he boarded an autorickshaw.
Home minister Basavaraj Bommai said police officers have gathered clues about the suspect and said all airports in Karaged man. Police have formed three teams to trace the suspect and appealed to the public to share information, if any, on him. Police made note of vehicles entering the airport and asked drivers of vehicles, including taxis, to produce IDs.
Flight delayed by 6 hours
An IndiGo flight bound for Bengaluru was held back after the airport terminal manager received a call about an explosive placed on board the aircraft. The authorities deplaned 126 passengers and subjected them to a thorough check. MIA director VV Rao said the flight, scheduled to take off at 3pm, took to the skies at 9.16pm after it received an all-clear signal from the authorities.
nataka, including Bengaluru, have been put on high alert after the incident. “We’ll identify the anti-national forces planning to terrorise people and create panic,” he said.