IS, Al Qaeda serious challenge for India, says DIB(Update:IS)

Director of Intelligence Bureau (DIB) Asif Ibrahim on Sunday said that that Islamic State (IS) and Al Qaeda are a serious challenge for India.

"Islamic State, Al Qaeda a serious challenge for India," said Ibrahim during the Director General of Police/ Inspector General of Police (DGP/IGPs) Conference held in Guwahati.

"Security scenario in north-eastern area is still fragile," Ibrahim added.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will soon be addressing the DGP/IGPs Conference, was given Guard of honor in Guwahati.

Union Home Minister Rajnath, Chief Ministers of the northeastern states and senior police officials were also present on the occasion.

Yesterday, stating that the government was concerned about the youngsters who were getting drawn to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), Rajnath had admitted that the extremist organization posed a clear and present danger to India.

"There are some misguided youth who are getting attracted to join organisations like the ISIS. We are concerned about the youngsters who are getting drawn to IS. We cannot take Al-Qaeda's threat of turning India into an Islamic country lightly and should consider it a challenge," Singh had said at the conference.

Earlier on Saturday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court had sent Arif Majeed, one of four youths who had gone to Iraq and is a suspected ISIS recruit, under custody till December 8.

Another Indian national Harjit Masih had on Friday, escaped captivity after being held by ISIS militants.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had also confirmed that Harjit was under the government's protection.

Swaraj had further stated that reports aired by a television channel, which suggested that the 40 Indians who went missing in Iraq in June had been killed by ISIS militants, were untrue and unfounded.

She also assured that the government is actively involved in locating the missing Indians. But she admitted that there was no proof whether the missing Indians were dead or alive.

Around 40 Indian nationals, who were employed by a construction company in Baghdad were kidnapped after Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, fell to the ISIS.