Kerala coast on high alert after intel on IS threat

The Kerala coast of India has been put on high alert after intelligence reports warned of potential terrorist attacks on the state by the militant Islamic State, according to local media.

The coastal police stations and coastal district police chiefs were alerted that boats allegedly carrying 15 terrorists affiliated with IS had set off for the Lakshadweep Islands from Sri Lanka, said the police.

“Such alerts are usual practice but this time we have specific information about the number,” a top police source told the Press Trust of India (PTI).

“We have also alerted the fishing vessels and others venturing into the sea to be cautious of suspicious activities,” coastal department sources confirmed to PTI.

After the serial bomb blasts in Sri Lanka, Kerala was on alert, especially after National Investigation Agency probes revealed that IS operatives had planned attacks in the state.

Intelligence agencies believe that a considerable number of people in Kerala are still with the IS which was recently wiped out from Iraq and Syria, reports PTI.

Sri Lanka witnessed a deadly terror attack on April 21 when eight blasts rocked the Island nation killing over 250 people.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the incident.