Bengaluru sleeper cells: Is city a sitting duck

Is Bengaluru, which is a hub of key sensitive defence and scientific installations, a sitting duck to fidayeen attacks

“There are several sleeper cells of banned terror organisations in Bengaluru, which are yet to be busted. It will not be surprising if one of them is activated for a suicide mission in any one of these installations.

From the airbase at Yelahanka to the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) campus and the Indian Institute of Science; the city is an important target for jihadis, who are all out to destroy India’s image and economy by hitting, where it would hurt the most. The most vulnerable targets in the state include the Kaiga nuclear power plants in Uttara Kannada district and Sea Bird naval base in Karwar.

Though the security audits of each of these places are done periodically by the city police in consultation with the State Multi Agency Centre and MAC at the centre (both agencies are with the Intelligence Bureau), it is impossible to rule out fidayeen attacks.

“Ground intelligence has to be beefed up and sleeper cells should be busted,” said an officer on condition of anonymity.