On March 2, law enforcement agencies issued a warning about potential terror strikes in five cities in the western state of Gujarat. The cities include Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Vadodra (Baroda). The nature and severity of the threat are unclear, but such alerts are increasingly common in India. The latest warning follows the Union government's terrorism alert for Gujarat in November 2009 after the US FBI released the transcript conversations between two Pakistani-born men arrested on terrorism charges in Chicago last year. According to the FBI, Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana discussed potential attacks in India with US-born David Coleman Headley, who is also charged with plotting the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The men, who have presumed ties to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), apparently identified the Somnath Temple and other prominent sites in Gujarat as possible LeT targets. Rana also reportedly surveyed several locations in Ahmedabad in November 2008. Indian authorities have boosted security in cities visited by the duo during their numerous trips to India, especially in the aftermath of the Feb. 13 Pune bombing, after it emerged that Headley had surveyed the area around the attack site. A couple of days after the Pune attack, Gujarat police seized a huge cache of explosives and detonators from Vapi and Surendranagar districts. To the extent possible, limit exposure to crowded commercial areas, ground transport hubs, major religious sites, parks and gardens and government buildings in these Gujarat cities while threat conditions are perceived to be higher. If possible, select internationally recognized hotel brands that generally have stricter on-site security measures. Expect travel disruptions due to roadblocks and other security precautions; have all identification documents ready for inspection. Our Corporate Travel Specialists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you need immediate assistance and your company has a designated Egencia Travel phone number, please call that number directly. If you do not have a designated number, in the U.S. please call us at 1-866-397-2677 or 1-702-939-2530. When traveling outside the U.S., please refer to the following, use the following local international customer service numbers. You can also reach us via e-mail by using our "support and feedback" form. Help and guidance resources are readily available in our Egencia Travel Support Center.

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