There are reports that some Indian young boys might have joined the Islamic State to fight against the Shia government in Iraq, the Intelligence Bureau has cautioned the home ministry that the Iraq discord could lead to trouble between the Sunni and Shia communities within India.
The intelligence agency has emphasis Centre on the immediate need to sensitize the Special Branches of states that have a high density of Muslim population.
As per intelligence note says that states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Karnataka etc need to be “sensitized immediately’’ as there was a clear division among Sunni and Shia religious leaders on supporting either the IS, which is mainly a Sunni outfit, or the Maliki regime.
The intelligence report further says, “Some clerics, both Sunni as well as Shia are already mobilising support from their followers for either of the two factions fighting in Iraq. The state police, particularly their special branch, should keep a close watch on such activities so that the situation does not go out of control.’’
There was a possibility of rebellious elements recruiting more boys for the terror outfit from Maharashtra’s Marathwada region, Intelligence sources said.
According to a senior intelligence official, “There are reports that a number of terror sleeper cells have become active in the Marathwada region and the state ATS as well as the local SIB has already been briefed about it in detail. These agencies are already drawing up a list of missing youth from the region.”
The intelligence agency has already asked the Special Branches to keep track of men who all of a sudden go missing from their states and launch an immediate investigation into such issues, according to sources.
Intelligence agencies have a sneaking suspicion that even if initial reports suggested that only four boys might have put their name down t in the Islamic State the actual figure could be much higher of those involved in jihad in Iraq.