Three Pakistani terrorist outfits have targeted four Indian States, including Odisha, according to intelligence reports. The other three States are Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.The intelligence inputs shared by the Intelligence Bureau with the four States say that four action groups of three Pakistan-sponsored Jehadi terrorist outfits, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), lakshar-e-Tayyeba (leT), Jaish- e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen, have entered India to carry out terrorist attacks before January 28.
As per the IB reports, out of the four action teams, the first team is headed for Maharashtra while the others have fanned out to Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, respectively. Based on the intelligence reports, the Odisha Government has sounded a State-wide alert.
Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjeev Marik said, “We have asked police in all the 30 districts of the State to remain in a state of alert. Some districts where the threat perception is higher have been asked to maintain stricter vigil.” “It may not necessarily be a big attack. But the threat of a small attack is definitely there,” Marik said.
Home Department Special Secretary lalit Das said that besides the police in 30 districts, the State’s 18 Marine police stations have also been asked to remain in a state of high alert. “Security forces have been asked to keep an eye on crowded public places and meeting venues, which are more vulnerable to terrorist attacks,” he said.
Former DGP SN Tiwari said two members of the Indian Mujahideen (IM), a wing of leT, had come to Bhubaneswar a few months ago and stayed in a hotel in the Master Canteen area. “Three SIMI members had recently escaped from jail in Bhopal while its other members had gone from Maharashtra and joined the ISIS outfit in Syria. Taking all these into consideration, it is most likely that the IM has surveyed some areas of Odisha,” he informed.
Tiwari said the Odisha police should make efforts to get firsthand information about the modules prepared by the IM. Besides, the State police should take note of the involvement of a terrorist group that had carried out a series of blast in Bangladesh which is not far away from Baleswar district, where there is a number of key establishments like the Interim Test Range (ITR), he further said.