India is on heightened alert following the release of a video featuring Farhatullah Ghori, a fugitive jihadist currently based in Pakistan. The video, which surfaced on Telegram about three weeks ago, shows Ghori urging sleeper cells within India to execute attacks on the country’s railway network and other critical infrastructure.
Attacks on Railways: Ghori instructed his followers to target India’s railway network, outlining methods for creating explosive devices using pressure cookers. He emphasised the importance of disrupting the railway system as a means of sowing chaos and fear.
Petroleum Pipelines and Logistical Disruption: He advocated for attacks on petroleum pipelines and logistics chains to cause widespread disruption. Ghori believed these actions will create significant challenges for India’s infrastructure.
Targeting Hindu Leaders and Police: The video included calls for violence against Hindu leaders and law enforcement officials. Ghori encouraged his followers to experiment with different attack tactics to find the most effective methods.
Ghori accused the Indian government of targeting sleeper cells by seising their assets through agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). He warned that despite these efforts, his network will persist and eventually succeed in destabilising the Government.
Who is Farhatullah Ghori?
Farhatullah Ghori, also known by several aliases including Abu Sufiyan, Sardar Sahab, and Faru, is a key figure in international terrorism. His extremist activities span multiple high-profile attacks:
2002 Akshardham Temple Attack: Ghori is accused of masterminding this attack in Gujarat, which claimed over 30 lives and injured 80 others.
2005 Hyderabad Task Force Office Attack: He was also involved in a suicide bombing targeting a police office in Hyderabad.
Ghori has long been on the radar of Indian intelligence agencies due to his connections with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and his role in orchestrating various terrorist activities. His recent video further solidifies his status as a significant threat.
Rameshwaram Cafe blast case
The NIA has been actively investigating the Rameshwaram Cafe blast, which occurred on March 1 and injured at least 10 people. The agency has made significant progress in the case: On April 12, the NIA arrested Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa and Mussavir Hussain Shazib in Kolkata. Taahaa is alleged to be the mastermind behind the blast, while Shazib is accused of placing the explosive device. Both were captured under assumed identities.
Along with Taahaa and Shazib, Maaz Muneer Ahmed and Muzammil Shareef, who are also connected to the attack, have been detained. These individuals are suspected of being part of the same Islamic State (IS) module operating in Karnataka’s Shivamogga.
The NIA is examining potential links between Ghori’s video and the recent sabotage incidents on Indian railways. Authorities are investigating whether the video’s directives are connected to the broader activities of sleeper cells in India.
The Indian intelligence agencies are working to assess the full extent of Ghori’s sleeper cell network and its potential impact on national security. The video’s threats have led to increased security measures across the country, particularly around critical infrastructure and transport systems.
A Pattern of Sabotage
These attempts are part of a broader pattern of sabotage attempts across India. In recent months, similar attempts to derail trains have been reported in other parts of the country:
Rajasthan: A plot to derail the Vande Bharat train was uncovered, where cement blocks were placed on the tracks. The timely intervention of railway officials prevented a potential disaster.
Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh: Another alarming incident involved the placement of concrete blocks and iron wheels on the railway tracks. A youth named Ehsaan was arrested for his involvement in the act, which was similarly aimed at causing a train derailment.
Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh: YouTuber Gulzar Sheikh, was arrested by state police for endangering the lives of passengers by placing various objects, including cycles, soaps, and stones, on railway tracks after the Railway Protection Force (RPF) registered a formal complaint against him.
Earlier Cases: In 2017, a derailment in Kanpur, resulting in over 150 deaths, was linked to sabotage by foreign agents. Similarly, in 2021, explosives were found on tracks in Bihar, intended to disrupt train services.
334 sabotage attempts in 5 years
In June 2023, Organiser reported that Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament of 334 cases of attacks or sabotage on trains in the past five years (up to 2022). The breakdown of these incidents shows 83 cases in 2018, 66 in 2019, 45 in 2020, 59 in 2021, and 81 in 2022, with at least nine incidents resulting in train derailments.
Incidents highlighting the severity of railway sabotage:
- On June 1, 2023, just two months after the Elathur train arson, a parked train was set ablaze at Kannur railway station in the early hours.
- In April 2023, Maharashtra Police and central intelligence apprehended Shahrukh Saifi, the prime suspect in the Kerala train fire that killed three and injured nine.
- In March 2023, the Vande Bharat Express was targeted with stones in West Bengal near Farrakka, damaging window panes.
- In February 2023, stones were thrown at a Vande Bharat train travelling to Dadhapara in Chhattisgarh, causing significant damage.
- On February 10, 2023, the Vande Bharat Express between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam was attacked by miscreants in Telangana.
- On January 20, 2023, stones were hurled at vande bharat and it was targeted by unidentified individuals who threw stones at it between Nagpur and Bilaspur.
- On February 20, 2019, stones were thrown at the Vande Bharat train en route to Varanasi, near Hirangaon railway station.
- Indian Railways reported over 1,500 cases of stone pelting on moving trains in 2022 alone, leading to more than 400 arrests by 2022.
In October 2023, railway employees in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Maharashtra, averted a disaster by discovering large rocks placed on the tracks during routine maintenance. Similarly, on October 2, the driver of the Vande Bharat Express from Udaipur to Jaipur avoided a potential derailment by using the emergency brake.
On June 13, 2023, Organiser reported the arrest of two individuals near Thalassery railway station in Kannur, Kerala, for attempting to cut a railway signal cable. Additionally, Karamana police arrested Karthikeyan from Tamil Nadu on April 18, 2023, for stealing a railway cable valued at approximately Rs 1.5 lakh.
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