NEW YORK, Dec 2: American intelligence agencies warned their Indian counterparts in mid-October of a potential attack “from the sea against hotels and business centres in Mumbai”, ABC News reported on Monday night quoting a US intelligence official.

A second government source says specific locations, including the Taj hotel were listed in the US warning, the report said.

Indian intelligence claimed to have also intercepted on Nov 18 a satellite phone call to a number in Pakistan known to be used by a leader of Lashkar-i-Taiba, believed responsible for the weekend attack. The intercept also revealed a possible sea-borne attack.

The chairman of the company that owns the hotel, Mr Ratan Tata, told CNN that security was temporarily increased following a warning.

But enhanced measurers were later eased and, in any case, “could not have stopped what took place”.