Islamic State in India: Is it a false alarm

Was it the Islamic State or not? This is a question for which the National Investigation Agency is trying to find answers while probing into the bombing that took place last week on the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train blast. Going by the investigations, it appeared to be a false alarm. It does not appear that the IS had coordinated this attack on the train.

There were a lot of leads that Intelligence Bureau officials got in the past year suggesting that the IS may launch an attack out on India. Intelligence reports also suggested that the IS may launch its attack through its module in Afghanistan which is known as the Islamic State Khorasan Province.

Today as investigations progress, it is becoming clear that the attack was not carried out by the module in Afghanistan. It was a local job and the attack was given the IS name as material relating to the outfit was found in the house of Saifullah who was gunned down in an encounter at Thakurganj near Lucknow last week.

The growth of the IS in Afghanistan is indeed worrying says an Intelligence Bureau official. It is growing at a very rapid pace, but it would be wrong to suggest that they are ready to launch big attacks. The IS module in Afghanistan is moreover not meant to strike at India directly. It is to help the IS build base in Afghanistan and then gradually move into areas close to the country.

Reading through the various dossiers and material that has been painstakingly prepared by the Intelligence agencies, it becomes clear that the IS style of attack would only be from the Lone Wolf. It would be more of "in the name of the IS' kind of attacks rather than coordinated ones as adopted by the rest of the terrorist groups.

A top Home Ministry official informed that it is too early to say that if the IS has managed to penetrate into India. There are cases here and there, but the ideology of the dreaded group has not captured the imagination of a majority of Muslims in the country, the officer also said.

Whether or not the the IS had a hand in the train blast or not is something that the NIA will have find answers to. The probe is still underway and very soon, it would be known whether it was the IS or an IS inspired lone wolf who carried out the attack, an officer part of the probe said.

OneIndia News