India warns Jewish groups to tighten security

Amid a terror threat, Jewish establishments in India have been instructed by police to tighten security in and around their businesses.

The call came following the interrogation of Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal by the National Investigation Agency in New Delhi, as well as in the wake of the Islamist attack on an upscale mall in Nairobi, Kenya.

According to New Delhi Television  (NDTV), Bhatkal told investigators that Jewish establishments in Mumbai have been surveyed by Indian Mujahideen members for possible terrorist strikes.  The Islamist militant group reportedly was trying to seize Jewish hostages to trade them for terrorists, the Hindustan Times reported.

Indian police called on Jewish establishments to hire security guards, install security cameras and issue ID cards for admittance to the businesses, according to NDTV. They also have been instructed to not allow parking around their buildings.

There reportedly are 12 Jewish establishments in Mumbai, including four in the southern part of the city. One of the buildings, the Nariman Chabad House, was the site of a November 2008 terror attack in which six people were killed.

Following a nationwide alert issued ahead of Rosh Hashanah in early September, security was increased around the 20 Chabad houses in India, the Hindustan Times reported.