India’s top sleuth in Saudi Arabia to nip IS luring young Indians

Stepping up India’s fight against militant outfits such as the Islamic State (IS) and Al Qaeda, Syed Asif Ibrahim, Director of India’s Intelligence Bureau, is on a week-long trip to Saudi Arabia.

During his trip that began on September 28, Ibrahim chalk out strategies to counter radicalisation of Indian Muslim youth, particularly over the internet.

He will also exchange notes with Saudi intelligence agency heads as well as the Interior Minister on how they can prevent the recruitment of the Sunni youth from being indoctrinated and enrolled by the IS.

On September 24, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a US-backed resolution to launch a determined effort to nip the flow of radicalised jihadists from around the world to the cause of Islamic State and similar other terrorist groups.

Talking about the ‘foreign terrorist fighters, US President Barack Obama had said, “These terrorists exacerbate conflicts; they pose an immediate threat to people in these regions; and as we’ve already seen in several cases, they may try to return to their home countries to carry out deadly attacks.”

Saudi Arabia has expressed its concerns about the rise of Sunni extremist IS in West Asia. It has also joined the coalition against the IS, and is keeping a watch on the Haj pilgrims to prevent the radicalisation in the guise of religion. It will be manning its borders to ensure no one slips into Syria and India.

Recently, there have been reports of Indian youth travelling to Syria and Iraq to join the IS. While there are no confirmed reports on the number, an official from the India’s Home Ministry reckoned that at least 22 youth from Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra had embarked on this venture as mercenaries.

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