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Kerala: ISIS audio clips warn of attack on Thrissur Kumbh Mela, probe on

Intelligence agencies suspect that the audio has been spread among the public with the aim of creating a communal divide.

Thiruvananthapuram: The state police and intelligence agencies are on their toes as a series of communally sensitive audio clips in Malayalam under the label of the so-called Islamic State is spreading rampantly through Whatsapp.

The state police intelligence wing had already alerted central agencies like the National Investigation Agency, and efforts are on to trace the exact source of the audio clips that call for fighting for the IS.

Intelligence agencies suspect that the audio has been spread among the public with the aim of creating a communal divide.

The latest audio file, said to be the 50th of a series, seeks human resources and financial support and even urges massacres at religious events, including a popular event in central Kerala.

It also criticises the belief and customs of other religions. The preliminary assessment of the police is that the source of the audio is somewhere in the United Arab Emirates, and the voice in the latest that of Kasargod native Abdul Rashid Abdullah who reportedly joined the IS.

"We are very well aware of the issue and seriously working on countering it. We already got information regarding the 50 audio clips and trying to trace its source. The file now in circulation is created recently as it has reference to last month's Las Vegas shootout also," a senior police officer told Deccan Chronicle.

Meanwhile, police sources said since the audio message is in a file format and being spread using messaging platforms like Whatsapp and Telegram it was nearly impossible to prevent its spread owing to end to end encryption.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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