Counterterrorism Blog

At least two events have been haunting India’s security establishment at present: an email threat to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ahead of his visit to southern most State of Kerala scheduled on October 31, and the arrest of two suspected Pakistani nationals with alleged link to Al Badr terror outfit in the neighboring Mysore (In Karnataka).

Not long ago, Manmohan Singh observed terrorism as a hydra headed monster and the most dangerous threat.

The email threat could be a silly prank. However, security agencies should not be complacent looking at the content of the alleged email threat. It asks for the release of Afzal Guru, the man sentenced to death in the Dec 2001 Parliament attack case and Abdul Naseer Madhani, an accused in the 1998 Coimbatore serial bomb blast case.

Although Kerala has never witnessed a terrorist strike or even an arrest, it is suspected that the territory has been used as a hibernation place for active militants.

In Neighboring Karnataka, the arrest of two-suspected Al Badr militants –Mohammed Fahad and Mohammed Ali Hussain– from Mysore who have been allegedly planning to blow up the Assembly building (Vidhan Saudha) and its Annexe and Central Institute of Indian Languages building at Bangalore. The CIIL building is presently housing many foreign dignitaries and scholars for an upcoming workshop.

Hussain, one of the two militants arrested in Mysore is believed to be a commander of Al-Badr in Kashmir. He has been, according to investigating agencies, operating in Sopore and Baramulla areas. The other militant - Mohammed Fahad - a chemistry postgraduate from Karachi University, Pakistan, is an expert in handling explosives.

Bangalore, an Information Technology hub, is already in the hit list of Islamic terrorists and experienced threats and strikes on vital installations in the past. Islamic militants targeted Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Dec. 2005.

Now, police from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are jointly investigating these events and searching places for clues and trails.

Question Marks

While the India's Anti-terrorism agencies trying too hard to gather evidence and prove Pakistan’s hands in terrorism in the country, the latest Mysore encounter claim has been challenged in the wake of statements by the owner of the house where Mohammed Fahad stayed. Even some accused in July 11 Mumbai blasts earlier confessed before the police about Pakistan’s ISI hand, retracted their confessions before Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime (MCOCA) court.

This controversy notwithstanding, the Al Badr or other Islamic terror outfit’s activity beyond Jammu and Kashmir and collusive ties with Pakistan terror networks would be the prime point of concern for times to come.