Terror alert: Mumbai on ISIS radar; threatening tweet creates panic

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The shadow of ISIS seems to be looming large over the city. Following closely on the heels of this newspaper's report that an ISIS sympathiser was planning a Peshawar-like attack on a city school, mid-day has learnt that a tweet by one of the four Kalyan youths who had allegedly joined the terror group in the Middle East has sent intelligence agencies into a tizzy.

Also read: ISIS admirer was planning Peshawar-like attack on Mumbai school

Of the four Kalyan youths who had left to join ISIS in May, one has returned. File pic

In the tweet, sent out recently, Fahad Shaikh has threatened an attack on Gujaratis in Mumbai, say intelligence officials. The tweet reads: ‘26/11 in India was targeted bcoz Gujaratis financed riot in Gujarat and killed many innocent Muslims. Now they are in the first class...boom...'

mid-day's report yesterday

According to Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials, the message clearly depicts the Kalyan youth's hatred towards the Gujarati community. They say the Gujarat riots had played a key role in indoctrinating youngsters like him.

Safety measures
Taking serious note of the threat, the Mumbai police has ensured that the entire force is on its toes. The Gujarati pockets in Mumbai Mulund, Ghatkopar, Vile Parle, Kandivli, Borivli and Dahisar have been put on high alert.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr V Rathod, who is in charge of Mulund, Ghatkopar and Vidyavihar areas, said, "My zone has a very high Gujarati population and we have increased our vigilance. The Anti-Terror Cells in the local police stations have been put on alert. We have activated all our eyes and ears. Patrolling of police officials in plainclothes has been increased and the Quick Response Team has also been put on alert."

The north region of the Mumbai police force has also been put on high alert and the leaves of policemen posted there have been cancelled. All the sixteen police stations in this region from Goregaon to Dahisar have been alerted.

Official spokesperson of the Mumbai Police, DCP Dhananjay Kulkarni, said, "After the Peshawar attack in Pakistan, we have a general alert in Mumbai." Though he did not confirm any specific alert pertaining to Gujaratis in the city, officials from police stations in Gujarati pockets did so on condition of anonymity.