Intelligence Agencies Flag Online Radicalisation In India Amid Growing Conflict Between Israel, Hezbollah

The growing conflict Between Israel and Hezbollah has exposed regional security to radicalisation in India, top intelligence sources told CNN-News18.

According to the sources, there is a massive traffic for attack videos and literature, which portray the strikes on Muslims as being “genocide”.

This opens up a number of uncovered avenues for security agencies, as Israel steps up the attacks on Lebanon as both sides trade massive strikes. The blasts carried out via remote personal devices, which targeted Hezbollah members, was an eye-opener. But, a major concern apart from military operations and security is online.

In India, the major indirect impact is an increase in radicalisation among like-minded people, especially youth, despite only few supporting this. But radicalisation is increasing multifold, which will cause “anti-America” and “anti-Israel” sentiment to further rise.

Sources said online radicalisation could morph into extremism and, eventually, attacks. Radicalisation in India is high, mainly among Shia Muslims that remained untouched so far, they said.

They further said after these incidents Shia pockets are also getting affected. Lucknow, Leh, Ladakh, Hyderabad and Delhi have witnessed unusual online traffic mainly towards watching attacks and abuse against America and Israel, they added.

This has never been seen in the past, sources said. These pockets have also started collecting funds to support people in Lebanon and Gaza while NGOs are also providing similar financial aid, they said.

Agencies that want people to be involved more are working on particular algorithms while children and women are being used to display the brutalities by America and Israel, they said. This trend was also noted during the Syrian civil war, they added.

This radicalisation, the sources said, can also result in the creation of an army and, later, “human bombs”. Online radicals can become politically polarised and think they can do anything as they have nothing to lose, they said.

In the latest developments, Israel and Hezbollah traded strikes again Tuesday (September 24). A day ago, massive Israeli bombardment killed at least 500 people, sent thousands fleeing from southern Lebanon and put the two sides on the brink of all-out war. The two sides last fought such a bruising monthlong war in 2006.