Kerala: High alert ahead of Onam post terror threat

Kochi: A Nice-style attack, where a terrorist rammed a truck into people watching the Bastille parade on July 14 killing 86, is the chatter intelligence agencies have heard and have therefore put Kochi on high alert during the Onam festive season.  Kochi City police received this specific terror threat alert from central Intelligence agencies on Thursday. “The information passed was that an attack similar to a recent one at Nice in France will be carried out to target religious leaders and that some individual would attempt to ram a vehicle into a public gathering. However, information was not specific about any terrorist group, Higher agencies are probing the threat further,” an officer of the State Special Branch said.

The cops were kept on tenterhooks for the entire day on Thursday following the threat that the vehicle would be rammed into the meet on peace and humanity organised by the Jamaat-e-Islami. “We have doubled the security cover in Kochi and it will be in place for the entire Onam season,” Arul R B Krishna, Deputy Commissioner of Police, said. The meet on Thursday was originally scheduled to be held at the Lalan Towers near the Kerala High Court and was later shifted to the St Albert’s High School after receiving the threat alert. Activist Rahul Ishwar who was on his way to attend the function was briefed about the security matter and directed to the new meeting place.

M.K. Aboobacker Farooqi, district president of Jamaat-e-Islami, said the event was organised as part of a nationwide campaign on peace and humanity, where leaders from various religious and social forums come together to discuss the need to ensure a peaceful atmosphere in society. “We had not received any threat prior to the programme. The venue was shifted based on the request made by the police and went off peacefully at the St Albert’s High School, where it was held later,” he said.