Navi Mumbai on high alert; IS messages on bridge pillars

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Navi Mumbai is on high alert after messages in praise of the Islamic State (IS) appeared on Tuesday on one of the pillars of a bridge. The messages were found written on a pillar of Khopte Bridge in Navi Mumbai's Uran area of Raigad district. According to Navi Mumbai police official "A separate team and Navi Mumbai crime branch are investigating the matter. There are vital installations nearby the bridge and therefore these messages cannot be ignored."

According to India Today, the messages were written on the pillar of the Navi Mumbai bridge praised the soldiers fighting for the IS and mentioned names of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and other terrorists. One of the messages also highlights the name of Hafeez Saeed and images of rockets are drawn in another. Police said they were going through CCTV cameras installed on the nearby roads for clues.

"It may be a local playing to prank, but this cannot be taken lightly. The particular place does not have CCTV camera, therefore, we are taking statements of people to see if they saw someone writing the messages on the pillar," another senior officer said. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra unit of the anti-terrorism squad has already begun their investigation into the matter while the crime branch of Navi Mumbai police is separately investigating the matter.

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