Terrorists could plot attacks as public safety system under stress due to Covid-19: Report

The US intelligence report, circulated by Canadian law enforcement, warned that extremists on the social media platform Telegram, considered popular among members and followers of the Islamic State, had advocated for infecting rabbis and store owners ‘of Indian descent.”

Canadian law enforcement has circulated a US intelligence report that terrorists could “exploit” the stress placed on the public safety system in countering the Covid-19 crisis, to attack establishments like supermarkets and even hospitals. The report also pointed to chatter on social media from some terrorist elements pushing for targeting stores owned by the people of “Indian descent.”

A patient is wheeled into the emergency unit of the Verdun Hospital in Montreal, Canada, April 6, 2020. According to a US intelligence report, places where there are still larger gatherings like hospitals, pharmacies and supermarkets could be “potentially attractive targets” for terrorists. (AP)

The alert was issued by the National Counterterrorism Centre in America, and formed part of a security advisory from the US rail industry. The existence of this document, which has been distributed in Canada by the First Responder Terrorism Awareness Program of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP, was first reported by the Canadian outlet Global News. Terrorists are being encouraged not just to use conventional means for attacks but also to infect large groups with the Covid-19 virus.

The report warned that extremists on the social media platform Telegram, considered popular among members and followers of the Islamic State, had advocated for infecting rabbis and store owners ‘of Indian descent.” However, the concern is not limited to jihadi groups but also over white supremacists.

While the majority of people remain at home due to fear of coronavirus infection, places where there are still larger gatherings like hospitals, pharmacies and supermarkets could be “potentially attractive targets” for terrorists. It also noted that terrorists with Covid-19 were asked to spread the disease in places like mosques, synagogues and neighbourhoods with diverse populations.

The US intelligence report also said, “A related concern is propaganda calling on ‘believers,’ adherents, and supporters to exploit the prevailing duress on law enforcement and security professionals to attempt to execute attacks.”