ISIS-K has called for a “Lone Wolf” attack on the India-Pakistan World Cup Cricket match here next month, a top police official has warned while putting security on high alert.
In a video that has gone global, the terror group is “calling for that ‘Lone Wolf’ to act out”, said Patrick Ryder, the Police Commissioner of Nassau County where the match is scheduled for June 6.
“Lone Wolves” are members or sympathisers of terrorist organisations who take cues from the organisations and operate independently by themselves making it more difficult to track them down.
On Wednesday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that she has “directed the New York State Police to engage in elevated security measures, including an increased law enforcement presence, advanced surveillance, and thorough screening processes”.
Bruce Blakeman, the head of Nassau County bordering New York City, said at a news conference, “We make sure that we are on top of every situation that could potentially arise. Now to that end, we have taken many many precautions.”
Additional police officers will be mobilised at the cricket stadium at Eisenhower Park, Ryder said at the news conference.
“We will go to every fine detail when it comes to the security and safety of the residents here,” he added.
Earlier there had been some ambiguity about the level of the threat posted in a chat group by ISIS-Khorasan, the offshoot of the Islamic State terrorist organisation operating in South and Central Asia.
Before the news conference by Nassau officials, Hochul had said that “there is no credible public safety threat at this time,” but added, “We continue to monitor the situation closely.”
“My administration has been working for months with federal law enforcement and Nassau County to ensure New Yorkers and visitors are safe,” she said.
With inputs from NDTV
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