TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Goa police Tuesday said that Jewish prayer houses at Anjuna and Arambol will be given 24-hour security cover following revelations from Indian Mujahideen terrorist Yasin Bhatkal’s revalation that his terror group was working on a plot to strike Chabad houses in Goa.
The Chabad houses witness large influx of Israeli tourists during the tourist season. The hubs were reportedly surveyed by Pakistani American Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Coleman Headley, currently in US custody, during his stay in Goa years back.
Sources said an alert has been sounded and armed policemen will be deployed around the prayer houses soon to pre-empt possible IM strike.
Bhatkal has reportedly told NIA that his team had been working on a plot to take foreign Jews hostage when he had been caught.
Chabad houses in Mumbai and Goa have been sensitized and security increased. The alert apparently was issued around Jewish New Year on September 3 to 4, 2013.
Bhatkal, who has been arrested by NIA, was brought to Goa more than a week ago when he had identified a rented premise in Anjuna where he stayed along with his two accomplices.
It is learnt that the two unidentified men hail from Pakistan and Bihar, but officials are yet to confirm this. The IM cofounder had also carried out reconnaissance at several places across the State and reportedly recruited some local youth in his terror group.
