ISIS planning knife attacks in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Rajasthan: IB Alert

Updated: Wednesday, August 31, 2016, 9:54 [IST]

Bengaluru, Aug 30: The Intelligence Bureau has issued an alert warning of groups sympathetic to the ISIS launching a knife attack on foreigners in India. The ISIS is looking for a spectacular attack in India to make an announcement.

The attack in Dhaka was also a warning to India that the ISIS along with the JMB has landed next door. Intelligence Bureau officials say that with the scrutiny high, the ISIS is finding it difficult to carry around arms and ammunition.

The knife is a weapon that generally does not come under the radar of the police and hence the outfit has decided to stage knife attacks which also creates a great deal of impact.

Downgrading weapons, upgrading impact

ISIS has issued several instructions in the past about practicing unconventional terrorism. The Nice attack in which a lorry was used as the weapon to run over and kill people was one such example of how unconventional yet impactful terrorism has become.

The ISIS manuals also suggest the use of knives for attacks. In another manual it has suggested using stones to kill people. Even if you can push people of the building it should serve the purpose, the ISIS says in another manual.

In India the first area that the ISIS wanted to use the knife attack was at the Dal lake in Srinagar. Considering the large number of foreign tourists at that place, ISIS felt that it was the best place to strike. ISIS had also roped in an operative to conduct a reconnaissance of the place.

Similar targets in Rajasthan, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru too were being explored. For the ISIS it is more important that the operatives target foreigners. Instructions given to the operatives in India are an indication of that.

For the Intelligence Bureau the job only gets harder due to the change in strategy. The IB says that in the current scenario they would need to fish for information more on the social media apart from enhancing cooperation with agencies from across the world.

OneIndia News