India issues terror alert for Jewish and Israeli travelers on Yom Kippur
"Possible targets in India may include Israeli Embassy in New Delhi, synagogues, Jewish schools, restaurants and hotels frequented by Israeli nationals in New Delhi and other cities."
By IDAN ZONSHINEMumbai Chabad attack 370(photo credit: REUTERS)
According a Channel 12 news report on Friday, Israeli security services are working with their Indian counterparts to thwart any potential attack over the Jewish holiday period, which started recently with Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year) and runs up until the last day of Sukkot on October 21.Specifically, Indian authorities warned of an elevated threat level during the coming Jewish day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, that begins on Tuesday evening.In late September, intelligence agencies in India warned of potential acts of terror targeting Jewish and Israeli communities in India during the high holidays, citing al-Qaeda and other cells affiliated to the Islamic State (ISIS) as probable attackers, according to a report by the Times of India."Al-Qaeda and terrorist cells affiliated with IS are looking to mount attacks on Israeli targets worldwide. In view of the same, the possible targets in India may include Israeli Embassy in New Delhi, synagogues, Jewish schools, restaurants and hotels frequented by Israeli nationals in New Delhi and other cities," according to the September intelligence warning.Sources said terror organizations are desperate to carry out attacks on Israelis living in the country after Israel supported India over the abrogation of Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.Warnings such as these ring a chilling bell of familiarity for many Israelis, both through the memory of the of the Yom Kippur War of 1973 - during which Israel was hit with a surprise attack on Yom Kippur, starting a war that caused more Israeli casualties than any other war - and through the more recent memory of the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, which cost the lives of 166 people, six of whom were Israeli.
