NEW DELHI (AFP) — India said on Thursday it was keeping in mind an upsurge in terrorist attacks in South Asia and pledged "foolproof" security for athletes and spectators during next year's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.
Indian Sports Minister Manohar Singh Gill said last year's assault on Mumbai by Islamist gunmen which killed 166 people and an attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan in March have spurred security fears.
"We will provide a secure Commonwealth Games. Concerns over security have heightened following the Mumbai terror strike and the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore," Gill told a related conference in New Delhi.
He said participants, spectators and all the venues will be under electronic surveillance during the October 3-14 Games next year.
"The home ministry is leaving no stone unturned to make the 2010 Games safe... Every road, stadium and car park will be centrally monitored," Gill added.
The London-based Commonwealth Games Federation has said security for the Indian event is subject to "continual review."
The attack on the Sri Lankan team by unidentified militants left several players injured and last year's 60-hour siege of Mumbai sparked fresh tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.
New Delhi is only the second Asian city to be awarded the Commonwealth Games. The Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur hosted the 1998 event.
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