New York: Security tightened as the terrorist organisation Islamic State has issued a threat against the T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan to be held here next month and New York, officials said on Wednesday.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that she has "directed the New York State Police to engage in elevated security measures, including an increased law enforcement presence, advanced surveillance, and thorough screening processes".
Bruce Blakeman, the head of Nassau County, bordering New York City, where the match will take place, said: "We make sure that we are on top of every situation that could potentially arise. Now to that end, we have taken many many precautions."
"We take every threat seriously. There are the same procedures for every threat. We don't minimise threats. We track down all of our leads," he added.
The Islamic State terrorist organisation known by its initials, IS, posted on a British chat site an image of the cricket stadium at Eisenhower Park in Nassau County with drones flying over it showing the date, “9/06/2024”, the date of the India-Pakistan match.
A screenshot of the post was broadcast on a news report by NBC New York TV. The channel reported that county leaders "say they've requested the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) to make Eisenhower Park a no-fly zone for drones".
New York officials downplayed the ISIS post as not a “credible threat”, while at the same time asserting that they were monitoring the situation. increasing security measures and committing resources for any eventuality.
Governor Hochul said: "While there is no credible public safety threat at this time, we continue to monitor the situation closely."
"My Administration has been working for months with federal law enforcement and Nassau County to ensure New Yorkers and visitors are safe," she said.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said that while "to date, there are no credible threats", his department "continues to monitor the situation and we are proactively deploying resources to maintain safety as you continue your day-to-day activities".
Even if ISIS has not organised an attack, the threat of lone wolf attacks -- members or sympathisers launching attacks on their own -- remains.
The World Cup Cricket stadium, which has a 30,000-capacity, was built specially for the tournament and will share the matches in the US with the arena in Dallas. It will kick off on June 1 with an exhibition match between India and Bangladesh, which will be followed by the regular tournament matches starting on June 3, pitching India and Sri Lanka, and running till June 12 with an India vs US match.
NBC New York said that the security preparations for the World Cup event were the largest that Nassau County has undertaken and it is being treated on par with presidential debates.
As part of the safety precautions, it said: "Local hospitals also involved just in case they're needed".
The British newspaper Express first reported on the threat, which it said was also directed against sporting events in Europe. It said that ISIS "followers are encouraged to target major events” including the Cricket World Cup.
"There were also extensive discussions on the forum as to how the terror group should use drones laden with explosives to murder civilians at major sporting events across Europe," the Express said of the postings on a chat group posted on the British website Matrix.
The Express said: "Chat room members who shared the stadium threats listed their terror skills, including firing AK47 rifles, and discussed sums of money in pound Sterling, suggesting some might be based in Britain."
With inputs from IANS