Govt asks states to guard against 'lone wolf attack'

With increased activities of ISIS supporters online, the government has taken the threat of the dreaded terror group seriously and asked states to remain alert against the possibility of 'lone wolf attack' in the country.
The threat of ISIS was discussed threadbare at a meeting of top officials of central intelligence and investigative agencies and police of 13 states on Saturday which was chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
"ISIS threat is real. As per our input, the days leading to the Republic Day is crucial. We have instructed everyone to be alert against the possibility of 'lone wolf attack' anywhere in the country," a senior government official said.

A 'lone wolf' terrorist is one who indulges in violence in support of some group, movement or ideology but works alone, outside of any command structure and without material assistance from any group.
Mohammad Sirazudin, an executive of the Indian Oil Corporation, who was arrested in Jaipur in December 2015 for allegedly spreading ISIS activities online and trying to recruit Indian youths in the Middle-East terrorist group, was allegedly on the verge of turning into a 'lone wolf'.
The Saturday meeting reviewed the steps taken to check the growing influence of ISIS among youngsters through social media and other sources.

The Home Minister was also briefed about the counter- radicalisation steps, including involvement of community elders, family members and religious preachers.

The officials stressed the need for more engagement with members of the minority communities and take them into confidence in government outreach programmes.
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According to Indian intelligence agencies, a total of 23 Indians have so far joined the ISIS of which six were reportedly killed in different incidents.
Among the 23 include, two absconding members of the banned Indian Mujahideen who had gone from their hideouts in Pakistan.
The dead were identified as Athif Vaseem Mohammad (Adilabad, Telangana), Mohammad Umar Subhan (Bangalore, Karnataka), Maulana Abdul Kadir Sultan Armar (Bhatkal, Karnataka), Saheem Farooque Tanki (Thane, Maharashtra), Faiz Masood (Bangalore, Karnataka) and Mohammad Sajid alias Bada Sajid (Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh).

Around 150 Indians are under surveillance for their alleged online links with ISIS.
As many as 30 other Indians, who were radicalised by ISIS elements, were prevented from travelling to the conflict zone in the Middle-East.
Among those who are currently fighting for ISIS include two youths from Kalyan in the outskirts of Mumbai, an Australia-based Kashmiri, one youth from Telangana, one from Karnataka, one Oman-based Indian and another Singapore-based Indian.
On September 15, 2015, the UAE deported four Indians suspected to have links with ISIS.
The UAE had also sent back in September last year a 37-year-old woman, Afsha Jabeen alias Nicky Joseph, who was allegedly involving in recruiting youths for ISIS.

In January 2015, Salman Mohiuddin of Hyderabad was arrested when he was preparing to board a flight to Dubai on way to Syria via Turkey.
There have been reports that some elements, who support the ISIS, have posted messages in regional languages, including Hindi and Tamil.