Anti-terror bureau warns of possible attacks on Israelis in India
Bureau says threat against travelers 'much more severe,' calls on Israelis to refrain from visiting Chabad houses, synagogues throughout India
The Counter-Terrorism Bureau (CTB) on Thursday said the threat of possible attacks against Israelis traveling in India has become "significantly more severe" since a stark travel advisory was issued last month.
The bureau said there was a "concrete threat" of attacks on Chabad centers and synagogues throughout India, including Goa, as well as on sites frequented by Israelis and westerners.
On the eve Rosh Hashanah the CTB warned Israelis to refrain from visiting crowded tourist hubs that are not secured by armed guards. Israelis were also advised not to travel to Jammu and Kashmir, India's northernmost state.
In its warning, the bureau said Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, the Pakistan-based terror group that carried out the attacks in Mumbai last November, was planning to launch more attacks throughout India, particularly in areas where there is a large concentration of Israeli and Western tourists. Chabad centers in India may also be targeted, said the bureau.
Ynet's military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai said the travel warning is based on concrete intelligence information. Some claim Lashkar-e-Tayyiba is being assisted by Pakistani intelligence agencies.
Six Israelis were killed in Mumbai last November when terrorists stormed the Chabad House in the city.
Other terrorists simultaneously raided a number of hotels and opened fire at civilians at the local train station and on the street. Close to 200 people were killed in the attacks.
