The Prime Minister's Office and the Anti-Terror Unit on Wednesday warned Israeli tourists against visiting the western Indian state of Goa over the coming weeks due to alerts of Al-Qaida plots to attack the area.

"The Al-Qaida organization is planning to carry out attacks in the region of Goa in India in the next two weeks," the Anti-Terror Unit.

Last month, Indian authorities decided to strengthen security in Goa after intelligence agencies warned of a "Bali-like" attack, referring to the 2002 bombings that killed 202 people, many of them foreigners on vacation.

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Goa's police chief, saying federal agencies did not want to take any chances, denied at the time there was any specific threat against the region.

The PMO said in a statement that tourists in Goa over the coming weeks are likely to be subjected to "a concrete terror threat of an Al-Qaida attack."

Elkana Har Nof, of the Anti-Terror Unit, told Army Radio Wednesday that "the information we received shows a serious threat, and we have therefore issued a travel warning." According to the information, the plot was to target a large number of people.

Har Nof said the policy of the Anti-Terror Unit was not to issue a travel warning except in cases of serious threats.

"It is clear to us that there is a terrorist plan- it has targets, goals, and it is supposed to happen simultaneously in various areas in the Goa region," Har Nof added. Usually, tens of thousands of backpackers arrive to the Goa region in December. An estimated 2,000 travellers are Israeli.

The Anti-Terror Unit last months called on Israelis touring the Sinai Penninsula to leave immediately due to terror threats. The warning came after word that Egyptian security forces were searching for four Palestinians in the penninsula planning to attack Israelis.