New Delhi, October 18:
The Assam Police have issued an alert about possible attacks in the state by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and al Qaeda over alleged violence against Muslims. Based on intelligence inputs about such threats, a circular issued on Saturday to the Guwahati police commissioner and all district police heads asked them to remain alert and take “necessary preventive and precautionary measures”. The circular, a copy of which HT has seen, linked the threats to a possible response to the violent eviction drive at Dhalpur in Darrang district last month in which two civilians (both Muslims) were killed and nearly 20 others including 11 policemen were injured.
The circular said ISI is planning to “target individuals including RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) cadres and army areas in Assam and other places in India”. It added that global terror outfits could indulge in “spectacular action by resorting to explosion of bombs/IEDs in places of mass gathering/mass transport, religious places etc.”
The circular cited Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s statement on Twitter “condemning systemic persecution and violence ramped up against the Muslim community in Assam claiming lives of Muslims during protests against an eviction drive”.
The police also received intelligence input about a video message reportedly released by terror outfit al Qaeda indicating a “call for ‘jihad’ specifically in Assam and Kashmir”.
Based on the inputs, Assam Police have asked all districts to gear up ground sources and intelligence collection machinery and remain alert to “thwart any evil design of global terror outfits and fundamental/radical elements”.
