Urging westerners and U.S. citizens to stay alert, the U.S. State Department on Tuesday issued a travel advisory for India citing growing threat from attacks by the Islamic State (IS).
“Recent Indian media reports suggest the IS’s desire to attack targets in India. The U.S. Embassy warns of an increased threat to places in India frequented by westerners, such as religious sites, markets, and festival venues. All U.S. citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness as detailed in the State Department’s Worldwide Caution of September 9 2016,” a message from the State Department on the social media said.
A similar message on September 9 had talked about IS attacks in Bangladesh and in other parts of South Asia. However, this is the first time that a specific travel advisory has been issued citing heightened threat perception from the IS targeting India. Experts had warned that the IS is looking to cultivate local radical groups to target South Asia.
