| Wednesday , November 5 , 2014 |
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1141105/jsp/frontpage/story_19000258.jsp#.VFlTLzSUeSo
Warships leave after alert | |||
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Calcutta, Nov. 4: The Indian Navy today pulled out two warships from the Calcutta port, citing “operational reasons”, after an alert of a possible terror strike that could damage the vessels. The alert is understood to have specified that militants in the guise of visitors or staff who have access to the port could threaten the security of the berths and assets on the waterside in Kidderpore. Terror alerts are fairly routine but the Burdwan blast last month has added an edge to the latest intelligence input. The naval ships that have been pulled out had docked in Calcutta on Monday and had been scheduled to be berthed till Friday. The public was invited to visit the ships till Thursday — a practice followed by the navy every year in the weeks leading to Navy Day (December 4). Security has been beefed-up at the Calcutta port following a specific threat gleaned by central agencies. The Bengal government was communicated the intelligence report, and the state in turn advised the Indian Navy to take precautions. Senior officials of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), that is primarily responsible for landward security of the port, said the alert was received on Monday evening. “Following the specific input, we held a meeting today to review our security arrangements and preparedness. Patrolling has been intensified at the various installations inside the port complex,” said a senior CISF official. One central security officer said “commercial ships with armed men as security guards on board pose a threat”. A large number of merchant vessels have armed men on board as security guards, mostly to fight off pirate attacks. “Some terrorists with ulterior motives may try to infiltrate into India disguising themselves as security guards and pose a threat to national security,” said the source. “These ships carry arms for safety and there is no check on them as they move into the country. There are chances of pilferage and it poses a serious threat to the security and safety of the country. An alert is sounded across ports in the country and all movement has to be monitored, especially Calcutta port and Haldia port,” said the officer. Riverine territory of around 200km is said to be under surveillance now. An official in Calcutta said this evening: “Although the report mentioned that the tip-off was somewhat unreliable as it had come from uncorroborated sources, it was treated with seriousness.” An alert has been sounded in areas that fall under two police stations — South Port and West Port — that cover the Calcutta port stretch. “One of the most sophisticated hovercraft from our fleet has already been pressed into service as a part of the vigil,” said Sharad Mantri, DIG, the Indian Coast Guard. The fallout of an attack on the Indian warships — targets for an adversarial military — cannot be understated. The threat perception of militant attacks on naval installations across South Asia increased several notches since a militant attack in Karachi, Pakistan, last year. On September 6 this year, the Pakistani Navy claimed it had killed two attackers and lost one of its officers in foiling an attempt on its dockyard in Karachi. This month, too, Karachi police claimed that they had foiled another attempt on the port there. The navy said the INS Khukri and the INS Sumitra were recalled for “undisclosed ‘operational reasons’ on orders by the Eastern Naval Command Headquarters today”. Officially, the navy said the departure of the ships had “nothing to do with any terror alert”. “The alacrity by which Indian warships are ready for operation at a short notice was demonstrated by the quick turnaround of the two visiting warships, amply showcasing Indian Navy’s prompt readiness…,” a defence statement said. The sources said a group of 60 street children, including orphans, were escorted through the ships before they were recalled today. The visit of the children from the NGOs, Magic Bus India Foundation and Purbanchal Udayan Sangha, was arranged by the local unit of the Naval Wives Welfare Association. |
Terror link probe leads NIA to dubious madrasas in Assam
Digambar Patowary, Hindustan Times Guwahati, November 05, 2014First Published: 00:21 IST(5/11/2014) | Last Updated: 00:25 IST(5/11/2014)
As the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials probe the Assam connection to the Burdwan blast case, the government has discovered the state has too many madrasas with doubtful credentials.
These unregistered madrasas are suspected to have discarded the traditional Hanafi school of thought to adopt the radical Ahle-Hadis or Ahle-Hadith adhered to by most jihad outfits.
On Monday and Tuesday, NIA sleuths searched several villages in western Assam’s Barpeta district. Several bank accounts and photographs of quack dentist Sahanur Alam — who is allegedly involved with the Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh — in various disguises were seized.
A pyramid burqa marketing network of potentially radical distributors was also unearthed. The officials did not elaborate but chief minister Tarun Gogoi said the suspected jihadis were running a “discounted burqa business”.
“JMB has been trying to develop its network in some key areas in Assam, where indoctrination of youths in jihadi philosophy is in a nascent stage,” Pallab Bhattacharya, additional director general (special branch), said.
Police officials said the radicalisation drive was through unregistered madrasas following the Ahle-Hadis school of thought. Most of these madrasas are off the radar as they are on river-created sandbars difficult to access.
According to Fazlur Rahman, director of the state’s madrasa education, there are 663 registered madrasas.
“Nobody knows how many unrecognised local-level madrasas we have in the state, but their number is very large. We don’t know what type of education they impart,” he told HT.
The bulk of some 25 lakh people living on Assam’s sandbars them are migrant Muslims, and they little or no access to roads, electricity and modern education.
“Under such circumstances, madrasa students can easily become targets of anti-national outfits,” Rahman said.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/terror-link-probe-leads-nia-to-dubious-madrasas-in-assam/article1-1282614.aspx
Kolkata port on terror alert, navy moves out two warships
HT Correspondents, Hindustan Times Kolkata/ New Delhi, November 04, 2014
First Published: 19:57 IST(4/11/2014) | Last Updated: 02:40 IST(5/11/2014)
Security forces in Kolkata are on high alert following a central intelligence warning that the city’s port may be the target of an attack by militants posing as fishermen, home ministry officials told HT on Tuesday.
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) headquarters in Delhi alerted top West Bengal and Kolkata police officials on Monday through an email, cautioning them of a possible attack on the port by Pakistani navy-backed terrorists.
The Indian navy moved two warships — INS Khukri and INS Sumitra — out of the port after receiving the alert and increased patrolling in the sea. The ships were supposed to be open to the public on Wednesday and Thursday.
The alert came after Pakistani security forces foiled an attempt by al-Qaeda militants to capture a Pakistani frigate at Karachi in September. The militants aimed to use the ship to attack Indian and American vessels in the Indian Ocean.
“We came to know about the alert from the CISF,” said deputy commissioner of police (port division) Imran Wahab. “We had a meeting late into the night and Indian navy officers were also present.”
The Indian navy moved two warships — INS Khukri and INS Sumitra — out of the port after receiving the alert and increased patrolling in the sea. The ships were supposed to be open to the public on Wednesday and Thursday.
The alert came after Pakistani security forces foiled an attempt by al-Qaeda militants to capture a Pakistani frigate at Karachi in September. The militants aimed to use the ship to attack Indian and American vessels in the Indian Ocean.
“We came to know about the alert from the CISF,” said deputy commissioner of police (port division) Imran Wahab. “We had a meeting late into the night and Indian navy officers were also present.”
Sources said security agencies intercepted conversations about targeting Indian naval assets at Kolkata and swung into action, in part, because of September’s Karachi attack.
“Marine patrolling at the India-Bangladesh sea border in the Bay of Bengal has been enhanced in view of the alert,” said commodore Ravi Ahluwalia. “We have electronic surveillance on seagoing vessels, especially the fishing trawlers plying in the region.”
According to the alert, terrorists are likely to enter Indian waters posing as fishermen and are backed by Pakistan marines, an elite marine commando unit of the Pakistani navy.
“Intelligence inputs were promptly shared with port authorities, navy, coast guard, Kolkata police and other counter terror agencies and they have been asked to remain on high alert,” a Union home ministry official said.
Security sources said al-Qaeda’s new wing for India and Pakistan may be responsible for Sunday’s suicide attack on the Pakistani side at the Wagah border that killed over 60 people, and militants might carry out similar attacks in India.![Taiwan coastguard]()
