TERROR TRAILS GAMES

Motorcycle-borne assailants shoot at Taiwanese nationals
Indian Mujahideen owns up, threatens more strikes for CWG
NEW DELHI, SEPT 19
Two unidentified motorcycle-borne attackers today shot and injured two Taiwanese nationals outside the Jama Masjid here
Delhi Police appeared to be ruling out the role of any organised terror group but intelligence experts said it could be a handiwork of outlawed Indian Mujahideen, which was behind a series of blasts in several cities, including Delhi and Ahmedabad.
The Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack in an e-mail sent to Press Trust of India and some other news organisations and threatened terror strikes during the Games..
The two injured — Cesewein (27) and Cinglo (28) — were rushed to the nearby government Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narayan Hospital, a senior police official said.
Cesewein (27) had a miraculous escape as the bullet grazed his head while Cinglo (28) was hit in right abdomen.
The injured were part of a five-member group of tourists who work with a television channel in Taiwan and were in the capital since yesterday. They were to leave for Jaipur on Tuesday and then visit Agra and return to the capital on September 27 to take a flight back to Taiwan.
Karnal Singh, Joint Commissioner (Northern Range), told reporters that the four cartridges recovered from the spot showed that the weapon used could be .38 calibre revolver.
But the rounds of fire recovered were also of 9 mm, which can be used in pistol or carbine, he said refusing to hazard a guess on the motive of the attackers.
“We are looking into all angles and we cannot jump to conclusions. It appears to be done to create panic,” he said.
Constable Pramod, who was manning Gate No 3, tried to give a chase to the attackers but they fled on their motorcycle. A rickshaw-puller also tried to give a chase and he even threw a brick at them in a bid to foil their escape.
The mini-bus also had one of its windows broken and a bullet pierced into its body.
Asked whether it is a security scare ahead of the October 3-14 Games, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said, “An incident like this is something worrying but nothing to panic about.”
Union Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy said the incident would not have an impact on the Games.
“Lots of security measures have already been taken. But wherever there is an inadequacy about it, that hole has to be plugged,” the chief minister said.
Hours after the incident, Home Minister P Chidambaram visited the LNJP Hospital, where the two injured Taiwanese are admitted. He enquired about their health conditions and also talked to senior official and medical professionals present there.
The e-mail sent by the Indian Mujahideen said, “In the name of Allah, the attack is a tribute to Atif Amin and Mohammed Sajid”. Amin and Sajid were IM operatives killed by the police in the Batla House encounter soon after the Delhi serial blasts of September 2008.
“We are warning you. If you have the guts, then organise the Commonwealth Games…We know that preparations are on full swing. Be prepared…We are also making preparations…The participants in the Games will be responsible for the outcome,” the e-mail said.
The modus operandi in the firing carries the signature of Indian Mujaheedin, Home Ministry sources said.
Sources in security agencies said the incident could be an attempt to spread scare ahead of the Games. They said terror angle cannot be ruled out.
The Union Home Ministry is also closely monitoring the investigations into the shooting incident and has sought a report from the Delhi Police.