Insta
‘ISIS Faction Attempted A Suicide Attack In India Last Year’: Claims Top US Official
Swarajya Staff
Nov 07, 2019, 03:08 PM | Updated 03:07 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
According to a top American official the Khorasan group of the ISIS -- the ISIS-K, that operates in South Asia, attempted a suicide attack in India last year, reports India Today.
"Of all of the branches and networks of ISIS, ISIS-K is certainly one of those of most concern, probably in the neighbourhood of 4,000 individuals or so," said Russel Travers, Acting Director of the National Counter-terrorism Center, Office of Director of National Intelligence, on Tuesday (5 November).
"They have attempted to certainly inspire attacks outside of Afghanistan. They attempted last year to conduct a suicide attack in India. It failed," Travers said when asked by Indian-origin Senator Maggie Hassan about the ability of ISIS-K to carry out terrorist attacks in the region.
Reportedly during her visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Hassan said she heard firsthand the concerns of the US military about the growing and very real threat of ISIS-K, the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan.
Hassan also said that there are around 20 branches of ISIS globally some of whom have tested state-of-art technologies like drones for conducting operations.
Travers was also reported saying that ISIS tried to inspire an attack in New York couple of years ago but the FBI interrupted.
Similarly they planned an attack in Stockholm in 2017 that killed five people. He also added that the individuals currently involved in terror operations are far more radicalised and dangerous than at the time of 9/11 attacks.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Introducing ElectionsHQ + 50 Ground Reports Project
The 2024 elections might seem easy to guess, but there are some important questions that shouldn't be missed.
Do freebies still sway voters? Do people prioritise infrastructure when voting? How will Punjab vote?
The answers to these questions provide great insights into where we, as a country, are headed in the years to come.
Swarajya is starting a project with an aim to do 50 solid ground stories and a smart commentary service on WhatsApp, a one-of-a-kind. We'd love your support during this election season.
Click below to contribute.