Six private hospitals here received a bomb threat via email which turned out to be a hoax, police said on Monday.

Police began an extensive search operation along with dog and bomb disposal teams in these city hospitals.

"However, no suspicious object was found inside the premises of these hospitals", a senior police official said.

"It was a hoax threat," he said.

The email to the hospitals on Sunday claimed: "I have placed explosive devices in your building. They will explode in the following hours. This isn't a threat, you have a few hours to disarm the bomb or else the blood of the innocent people inside of the building will be on your hands."

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