Islamic State terror has hit India. The blast on a Bhopal- Ujjain passenger train which injured 10 people marked an awesome beginning. India’s national security is threatened. Operatives belonging to IS’s Khorasan module have been arrested. One Saifullah holed up in a house in Lucknow has been arrested. It took 12 hours to neutralise him. Also Atif Muzaffar who is said to have masterminded the blast has been arrested. It has also been reported that the module came into contact with the IS on online platforms. IS’s radical ideology inspired them. What is not clear is if they caused the explosion to take place with orders from foreign terrorists. A very small number of Indians have gone to fight for IS in Iraq and Syria. Intelligence and Security agencies have busted several IS modules.
The train blast however proves that Indian authorities should exercise the utmost vigilance. IS is crumbling in Iraq and Syria. But it may then spawn conventional terror groups like al-Qaeda. Non-Arab IS militants have been asked to go home. They may be a serious menace to India’s neighbourhood and threaten its security. The Indian government must go all out to turn the heat on IS recruits and sympathisers. Support of Muslim community leaders and clerics should be enlisted to crush any IS outfit. Policing has to be beefed up. The railways are a common target for extremists. The tracks should be given maximum protection.
