Tamil Nadu man first ISIS suicide bomber from India?

NEW DELHI: Indian security agencies are verifying unconfirmed reports of a young suicide bomber of Chennai origin blowing himself up for the Islamic State (IS) in the Syria-Iraq theatre. If the reports about the Indian fidayeen are true it could have serious repercussions for India as this would be the first time that an Indian has been found involved in a suicide attack anywhere in the world.
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The reports have become a cause for concern in an atmosphere where security agencies have dependable inputs about 20-30 youth from India fighting along IS, even as al-Qaida has floated an Indian subcontinent centric wing named Qaidat al Jihad or al-Qaida in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
The fear is that once these youth return they would directly tether India to the IS cause. Also, reports of Indians being motivated and trained in fidayeen attacks could introduce this form of terrorism in the homegrown terror circuit. That is a day that agencies do not want to see.
Only recently NIA investigations found that Indian jihadists were gradually gravitating to fidayeen attacks. While Indian Mujahideen internet chats, intercepted by agencies, have detailed discussions on conducting fidayeen attacks, SIMI operatives who attacked a Narendra Modi rally in Patna last year had experimented with suicide vests, according to the NIA chargesheet in the case. In fact the plan for the suicide attack did not work out only because the man entrusted with the job developed cold feet at the last moment.
“If this information turns out to be true, we are in for some serious trouble if and when these boys return,” said a security establishment officer.
Already one of the four youth from Thane who are reportedly fighting alongside IS in Iraq has died. The family of Arif Majeed was recently informed by his friend through a telephone call from Iraq that he had “attained martyrdom”.
Meanhwhile, Indian security establishment is as yet not too overtly worried about AQIS harming India in immediate future even though the outfit on Thursday made claims of having attacked the Pakistan Navy last Saturday. “It only reinforces that the immediate threat is to Pakistan where al-Qaida has deeply entrenched network and where it has even infiltrated and indoctrinated the armed forces. However, the threat cannot be ignored,” said Ajai Sahni of Institute for Conflict Management.
Worrying reports of Indian youth joining IS and al-Qaida’s South Asian move have all come at a time when security agencies are on top gear to ensure that the coming festival season passes off without incidents. As of now, there is no reason to worry about any possible attacks in India, officials insist.
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