Mumbai, July 12: A bomb threat targeting the iconic Taj Hotel in Mumbai triggered a security alarm, prompting police and security agencies to conduct a comprehensive search operation at the premises before declaring that the threat was a hoax, said police on Sunday.

According to officials, the Taj Hotel was placed on high alert after, at around 12:13 a.m., a man called the Navi Mumbai Police Control Room and allegedly claimed, “Dawood has planted a bomb at the Taj Hotel”. The information was immediately relayed to the Mumbai Police Main Control Room.

Following the alert, teams from the Colaba Police, the Crime Branch, and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) rushed to the Taj Hotel and launched an extensive security check. The hotel’s main lobby, swimming pool, banquet halls, restaurants, parking area, outer premises, and other sensitive locations were thoroughly searched.

After an exhaustive inspection, police confirmed that no suspicious object or explosive was found on the premises. The bomb threat was found to be a hoax.

Technical investigation revealed that the threatening call originated from the Turbhe area of Navi Mumbai. Police have launched a search to identify and arrest the caller based on the mobile number used. Authorities are working with the Turbhe Police to trace and apprehend the suspect.

The iconic hotel in the city’s Colaba area was one of the primary targets in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, in which 166 people were killed and hundreds injured.

A similar bomb threat was received by the Mumbai Police during which the caller allegedly claimed that Delhi’s historic Red Fort would be blown up, prompting police and security agencies to conduct a comprehensive search of the monument on Saturday. It was later declared to be a hoax.

According to Delhi Police, the threat originated from a phone call to the Mumbai Police Control Room, which immediately relayed the information to their Delhi counterpart, which, in turn, alerted the North District Police to initiate security measures.

Soon after receiving the alert, police personnel, bomb disposal squads, and other security teams rushed to the Red Fort and carried out an extensive sanitisation and inspection of the premises. After thoroughly checking the area, officials found no suspicious object or explosive material and confirmed that the threat was false.

Tehran, July 12: Iran has launched a series of strikes on US targets in the Middle East, Press TV reported on Sunday.

Missile alert sirens sounded in Bahrain as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar also came under attack, reports said.

The UAE Defence Ministry said Sunday that its air defence systems were engaging missile and drone threats, while Bahrain’s Interior Ministry urged residents to remain calm and proceed to the nearest safe location.

According to Press TV reports, the US targets hit in the latest Iranian strikes included a Patriot air defense system, an ammunition depot and a US military radar facility in Kuwait.

In response to US attacks, Iran also targeted a US military communications facility and a radar facility in Bahrain, and launched a ballistic missile strike against the US airbase of Al Udeid in Qatar, according to the reports.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said Sunday that its aerospace forces had carried out a heavy attack on US aircraft carrier support and refueling facilities at Oman’s Port of Duqm, adding that the operation targeted logistical support centers for US naval vessels.

Earlier, US launched a third round of strikes against Iran after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the US military said.

US Central Command said its forces began the strikes at 7:15 p.m. Eastern Time (4.45 am Sunday Indian time). It said the operation was ordered by President Donald Trump in his capacity as commander in chief.

The latest military action followed an attack on the M/V GFS Galaxy, a commercial container ship sailing through the strategic waterway.

“At 7:15 p.m. ET today, US Central Command forces began launching the third round of strikes this week against Iran after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces blatantly attacked M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

The command did not immediately identify the locations struck or provide details about the targets. It also did not say which weapons were being used in the operation.

A civilian crew member remained missing after the attack on the vessel, according to CENTCOM.

Visakhapatnam, July 12: A 4.5 magnitude earthquake in the Bay of Bengal triggered tremors in parts of Visakhapatnam and adjoining districts of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.

Some areas in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam were jolted by the tremors around 5.05 a.m.

The tremors were felt in Gajuwaka, Mangalapalem, Sagar Nagar, Pedda Waltair, Arilova, MVP colony, Appughar and other areas.

According to the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), a mild earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale occurred in the Bay of Bengal early on Sunday, and mild tremors were felt in several parts of Visakhapatnam city.

National Center for Sesimology said the earthquake occurred at 5:05:46 a.m. IST at a depth of 10 km, with its epicentre located about 225 km off the Kakinada coast in the Bay of Bengal. The epicentre was located at latitude 16.805 degrees N and longitude 84.381 degrees E.

No casualties, property damage or any other loss have been reported due to the earthquake.

There are reports of tremors being felt in parts of Anakapalli, Vizianagaram, Kakinada and Konaseema districts.

Experts described it as a shallow earthquake. They said there was no need for people to be worried as the tremors were mild due to structural adjustments. They pointed out that the region is considered tectonically stable.

In November last year, Visakhapatnam and Alluri Sitharamaraju districts were jolted by a mild earthquake.

An earthquake of magnitude 3.7 had struck the Alluri district in north coastal Andhra on November 4, 2015. The tremors triggered panic among residents in some areas. People ran out of their houses on hearing a loud sound. However, there were no casualties or any other damage. According to the National Center of Seismology, the epicentre of the earthquake was at G. Madugula in Alluri Sitharamaraju district at a depth of 10 km. The epicentre was 110 km from the port city of Visakhapatnam.