Al Qaeda offshoot plans attacks on Indian vessels at sea

There are ample indications to show that the newly-launched Al Qaeda in the Indian Sub-continent headed by Indian-born Asim Umar will seek to attack India through the sea rather than land.

After two previous unsuccessful incidents, yet another alert has been sounded stating that the AQIS will make attempt to target naval bases in the south with an intention of carrying out targeted strikes on Indian and United States navy vessels, states a report by the Indian Intelligence Bureau to the Home Ministry.

‘The AQIS is desperate for a major attack and it would want it to be spectacular in nature. This sort of an attack is needed for the AQIS as it is losing heavily to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria which has attained a near-cult status in the radical world,’ states the report.

The first attempt that the AQIS made was during the naval dockyard attack in Karachi. While this operation was launched in Pakistan, the aim was to attack US and Indian vessels in the deep waters.

AQIS chief Asim Umar said in a statement that the members who died in the naval dockyard attack were members of the Al Qaeda. Terming India as a US crony, he said that the intent was to hijack a Pakistani ship and launch attacks on Indian and US ships in the area. He also claims in his statement that his team comprises former members of the Pakistan navy who are training them. He further states that they had taken control over the ship and were all set to launch an attack but were countered by members of the Pakistan navy.

The next instance was when it sent two members to carry out a survey of the ports in West Bengal. Armed with logistical support from the Students Islamic Movement of India, two members of the AQIS carried out a survey of the ports and were planning to hijack a ship. This had even prompted the Indian agencies to move some of its vessels from Kolkata port.

According to the latest alert, AQIS is again working on a plan to hijack an Indian navy vessel and create terror on the high seas. It proposes to launch attacks on commercial vessels as well.

“We believe that the AQIS has roped in at least eight former members of the Pakistan navy to help them. They have been training them and the programme is similar to the one we got to see during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. Moreover this programme of the AQIS will have the blessings of the Inter-Services Intelligence as well. The ISI does not want the ISIS, which they feel is harder to control than the Al Qaeda, to have a dominant presence in the region once the US leaves Afghanistan,” said the official.