An alert has been sounded at Mangalore airport after a bag was found abandoned outside the terminal building on Monday morning with components of low intensity improvised explosive device (IED).

Highly placed sources said Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel found a black bag at 8.45 am on Monday. The bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) immediately got cracking.

“The bag contained all components of IED — battery, wire, timer, switch, detonator and explosive. An alert has been sounded at Mangalore Airport. BDDS and police are searching the terminal building,” said sources.

The CISF poured over CCTV footage of outside the terminal building. “One person approached the airport in an auto-rickshaw and kept the bag near booking counter of IndiGo. He left the airport in the same rickshaw. Air India booking counter is next to the IndiGo counter,” said a security official.

Another official said: “It appears to be a crude IED, most probably very low intensity. Local police are determining the components.”