‘Kerala under alert following inputs on terror attacks’

Though inputs revealed that the terrorists will be targeting main centres, the agencies weren’t able to ascertain whether the attackers will be local or those from outside the country.
Loknath Behera
Loknath Behera

KOCHI: Ever since the Easter Day deadly attack in Sri Lanka, Kerala Police have been under high state of alertness and closely monitoring activities of a few suspects to prevent any similar attacks by Islamic State modules.

State Police Chief Loknath Behera told Express that the state police had been coordinating with various agencies to further spruce up security in the state after receiving multiple alerts from various enforcement agencies about a possible attack by IS modules in the state.

“We are taking all efforts to enhance security. Coastal regions in the state have been under close surveillance based on the intelligence inputs,” he said. Earlier, there was a specific input from intelligence agencies warning that boats allegedly carrying 15 Islamic State terrorists were on their way from Sri Lanka to Lakshadweep islands.

Though inputs revealed that the terrorists will be targeting main centres, the agencies weren’t able to ascertain whether the attackers will be local or those from outside the country. A senior intelligence officer said that preliminary analysis suggest IS modules have been able to influence a lot of locals who he fears could be possible lone wolf attackers. 

The agencies have been collating details about a few suspects in Kerala who were in touch through social media with the Tamil Nadu IS module that had links with Zahran Hashim, the mastermind of the Sri Lankan attack.

“We strongly suspect that there is a coordinator for the IS in Kerala like Zahran Hashim in Sri Lanka. Our priority is to trace those who have been operating higher up in the chain of command for IS modules in the southern states,” said an officer of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the role of a suspect identified as Mohammed Azharudheen, 32,  of Coimbatore. 

The NIA has claimed the suspect and a few of his associates were actively propagating IS agenda on social media to recruit vulnerable youth and use them for carrying out terrorist attacks in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

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