Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam (Vizag) face a potential terror threat as the extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) reportedly establishes bases with plans for attacks. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has raised an alert to security agencies, apprehending several suspects linked to HuT. The agency considers HuT a significant threat to India, second only to ISIS.
In a recent anti-terror conference, the NIA identified Hizb ut-Tahrir as a primary national security concern. Reports suggest HuT operations are active across Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, as well as in Bangladesh. In response, the central government officially designated HuT a terrorist organization and imposed a ban on its activities.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, HuT engages in radicalizing and recruiting young individuals into terrorist activities, with financing strategies that support extremism. The ministry warned that the organization poses a severe threat to national security and sovereignty, with a stated goal of overthrowing democratically elected governments through jihadist and terror activities. HuT’s ambition to establish Islamic states worldwide, including in India, has led it to employ social media extensively for recruitment and influence, using religious appeal to attract and convert Indian citizens into its ranks.