IS names new emir in ‘Bengal’, issues threat to carry out attacks
Naming one Abu Muhammed al-Bengali as its new emir in ‘Bengal’, an Islamic State affiliate group on Tuesday issued a direct threat to carry out strikes in India and Bangladesh.
The IS released a statement in Arabic in the early hours of Tuesday through its mouthpiece Amaq. Subsequently, it also released Bengali translation of its statement on the Dhaka attack along with transcript of Baghdadi’s speech.
“If you think you have silenced the soldiers of the Khilafa in Bengal and Hind and you are certain about that then listen we men are never to be silenced.. The thirst for revenge is never to be faded away (sic),” the IS poster released in Bengali, English and Hindi reads.
The Indian intelligence is closely inspecting the developments in Bangladesh and they fear that the attacks could take place either in West Bengal or Bangladesh. The threat to West Bengal cannot be ignored as JMB operatives have been known to frequent Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal and neighbouring states for recruitment and establishing hideouts, said an anti-terror unit officer.
According to a development reported by the TOI, last Thursday, pro-IS Telegram channels had released a poster in Bengali saying “Coming soon”. Agencies had started a probe after the poster — which read: “Shighroi Aschhe (coming soon), Inshallah..” — came into circulation on Telegram. The poster flashed the logo of a group called al Mursalat and the Tuesday threat was issued by the same group.
The threat comes days after a spate of suicide attacks on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka that killed over 250 people.