ISIS-influenced youths may strike in India: Govt

The Centre has issued a warning to all stakeholders that the rise of ISIS is now posing a threat in India as well.

The Centre has issued a warning to all stakeholders that the rise of ISIS is now posing a threat in India as well. The warning comes two weeks after a Mumbai-based techie was arrested on charges of planning to carry out an attack on American installations in the financial capital of the country in retaliation of the US air-strikes in Iraq and Syria.

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The attack on the flag-lowering ceremony at Wagah on the Pakistani side on Sunday has further raised concerns in the security establishment. Assessment of the intelligence agencies is that the Wagah attack might be a handiwork of global terror outfit al Qaeda or a group owing direct allegiance to it and it may carry out further attacks in India. In September, al Qaeda had announced an India-Pakistan specific wing to carry out attacks in both the countries. States like Assam are especially worried about the threat from cross-border terror outfits.

Union home ministry has told all states and counter-terror agencies that in the last few months Internet played a key role in radicalising ‘impressionable’ youths and the rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria has increased the threat. Initially, the radicalised youths planned or went to Iraq and Syria and but they intend to carry out attacks in India as well.

A Mumbai based techie was arrested in the third week of October on the charges of planning an attack on the US interest here to take revenge of air strikes on the ISIS bases in Iraq and Syria.