It had resulted in the arrest of six terrorists of various nationalities planning to carry out a ‘Bali-like attack’.
NEW DELHI: A terror module planning to strike tourist destinations in Asia that are popular among western tourists was neutralised a few months back in an international operation involving security agencies of several countries.
Authoritative sources here told DNA that among that module’s probable targets might have been Goa, a factor that may have triggered Wednesday’s warning from the Isareli government to its citizens not to travel to the tourist haven on Arabian Sea.
The foreign ministry and the Counter-Terrorism Division of the National Security Council of Israel in a statement said, “As part of the existing al-Qaida terror threat in India, there is a concrete threat in the Goa region, where travellers, including Israelis, gather for holidays at the end of the year.”
While wary of disclosing full details of the international operation, to which Indian agencies too were privy, sources said the operation resulted in the nabbing some six terrorists, of various nationalities.
While refusing to disclose where the operation took place, officials in the security establishment confirmed that the group was from Al Qaeda and had citizens of various nationalities. Their interrogation did not reveal if they were targeting Goa, but “they were definitely working on a Bali like attack, on tourist destinations popular among westerners” in Asia.
Goa is one of the most popular tourist destinations anywhere in the world among Israeli tourists especially the backpackers who want to relax after their two-year compulsory military service.
An official in the intelligence establishment told DNA, “For sometime we have had the concern about Goa, though there is no specific input.” He said in the light of the recent developments in West Asia, and the coming Christmas season it must be expected of Israel to warn its citizens. He categorically ruled out any specific threat right now to Goa.
Goa’s police chief B S Brar said Goa was a safe place, inviting tourists to come over for celebrating the Christmas and New Year. “The travel advisory came as a bolt from the blue because we are in touch at different official levels with the Israelis including at the police level,” said Ujjwal Mishra, DIG, Goa. He went on to elaborate that Goa is the safest place to be in although the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s travel advisory makes it out to be the most dangerous place.
With inputs from Pushpa Iyengar in Goa
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