Terror stalks Delhi. Anyone watching UP?

Delhi is back on the terror radar with central Intelligence Bureau claiming that the national capital will face attacks if precautionary measures are not taken soon.

Interestingly, there seems to be a shift in tactics of terror operatives in India, as off late they were restricted to targeting smaller Indian cities such as Faizabad, Lucknow and Ajmer. When terrorists struck smaller towns, the IB had pointed out that the intention was to create terror irrespective of the city.

Smaller cities were being targeted thanks to the fact that security is usually lax in these areas. Terror operatives have now realised that striking smaller cities create limited havoc and do not convey their message. Striking an important city like Delhi -- the political hub of the country -- could wreck havoc across the country.

The IB says it has information that Delhi could be struck in the next two weeks and hence it is extremely important that the six Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islamia operatives, who have allegedly sneaked into the national capital, are nabbed.

Sources in the IB also add that this could just be a threat and an operation may not be carried out after all. Terror organizations usually hand out such threats only to test the security levels in a city. This could also well be a distraction for the police, the IB claims.

While the entire focus is on Delhi, they could strike in some other place, the IB adds.

However, reports reveal that Delhi remains a favourite target. The entire country could be held at ransom if a terror strike is carried out in New Delhi. In smaller cities, terror attacks were mainly aimed at creating communal tension, but in Delhi the agenda is political.

The IB claims such threats are handed out every year on the eve of the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary. The terror outfits want people to know that demolition of the Babri mosque was the biggest betrayal ever by India towards the Muslim community.

Another reason being cited for trying to attack Delhi is to avenge the arrest of terrorists Mufti Abdul Hannan and five others, who are now lodged in a jail in Delhi. The terrorists were arrested after explosives were found on them in the New Delhi railway station in 2006. Ever since their arrest, the HuJI has made every effort to attack the city.

Entering Delhi:

While Delhi had been secured by security agencies ever since the Parliament attack and the Sarojini Nagar market blasts, the same agencies, however, ignored neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh has one of the highest number of terror cells in the country. There are around 23 terror cells, which operate in the state. The main reason for setting up base in the state is its proximity to New Delhi.

There have been several warnings in the past regarding this aspect, but they have been ignored from time to time. Terrorists have even managed to carry out operations such as purchase of sim cards from Noida, which were later used both in Hyderabad and Ajmer blasts.

IB sources also say that for years together the terror outfits, who have now set up base in UP, had planned an attack on New Delhi. They could have also smuggled in arms into the capital to carry out their attack.

These arms are first brought into India from either Bangladesh or Pakistan through West Bengal. From West Bengal, the terrorists enter into Uttar Pradesh from where the arms are distributed to other terror cells in the country.

Entering Delhi may have been difficult, but the strongest weapon of terror outfits is their patience. They can wait for years together and when the security is lax, they strike. It is now for the police to step up the vigil and strike down these terrorists, the IB says.

The IB says that operations in Delhi were being handled by a HuJI operative, Mohammad Tuffail Hussaini, who had masterminded the train blasts in 1993 in Mumbai. Following that attack he fled to Bangladesh and now controls operations from across the border, the IB says.

More about the HuJI:

This organization is becoming a headache for India considering that most of the terror strikes in recent times have been masterminded by this outfit. This outfit was established in 1992 allegedly with the 'blessings' of the world's most-wanted terrorist, Osama Bin Laden.

The HuJI initially kick-started operations in Bangladesh with the intention of imposing a Taliban-like rule in that country on the lines of Afghanistan. However, in the years to come, HuJI began concentrating more on India.

First on the agenda was to avenge the demolition of the Babri Masjid. The main intention was to show the Indian Muslim the support they had in international quarters. However, this issue died down and then the target was Hyderabad where the HuJI swore to restore the rule of the Nizam and annexe the state to Pakistan.

The HuJI, which has around 15,000 men in its outfit, operates mainly from Bangladesh and gains access into India through West Bengal. Several HuJI activists, who have been nabbed and subject to narco analysis tests, have revealed that they have men appointed in India who act as their very own travel agents.

The agent is paid around Rs 30,000 for bringing a person into India and safely guiding him into a terror cell. The banned outfit is mainly concentrated in West Bengal, UP, Andhra Pradesh and the North East region from where they carry out operations.