Attack on frigate: IS, al Qaeda a major challenge, says Singh

India’s home minister says some people of the Pakistani Navy were also involved in the attack

NEW DELHI: India’s Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said al Qaeda’s alleged attempt to hijack a Pakistani naval frigate was a worrying development for the entire region, especially in the backdrop of the rise of the Islamic State (IS). “The South Asia wing of al Qaeda has claimed it had tried to hijack a Pakistani naval frigate with the intention of attacking Indian and US naval vessels.” Singh said. According to him, “some people of the Pakistani Navy” were also involved in the attack. The Indian minister said though the IS took birth in Syria and Iraq, the Indian subcontinent was not outside its radar, adding that some Indian youth were also getting attracted towards it.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2014.