Terrorist attack threat puts IND vs PAK T20 World Cup 2024 match at risk

The New York Police Department bulletin has revealed the possibility of a lone wolf attack by the Islamic State terrorist organization (IS) during the India vs Pakistan match in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 on June 9th, 2024, according to Indian Standard Time (IST) at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, Long Island in New York.

New York Police Department Bulletin Warns of Terrorist Attack Threat

IS posted on a British chat side an image of Eisenhower Park Cricket Stadium with drones flying over it showing the date, “9/06/2024”, the date of the India-Pakistan match. The Eisenhower Park Stadium at Nassau County, which is to host all eight games of the tournament proper with India’s three outings, will have heightened security arrangements for the T20 World Cup due to the threat even though New York State Governor Kathy Hochul insisted that it is not credible ‘at this time’, while at the same time asserting that they were monitoring the situation, increasing security measures and committing resources for any eventuality.

“In preparation for the @cricketworldcup, my team has been working with federal & local law enforcement to keep attendees safe,” Governor Kathy Hochul wrote on X, adding there was “no credible threat at this time”.

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 made the request to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) to make Eisenhower Park a no-fly zone for drones”. According to an advisory from the New York City Police Department, which ABC News quoted, extremists may see the tournament and other activities in NYC as a chance to carry out violent or disruptive acts.

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 minimize threats. We track down all of our leads,” he added.

“Recent pro-ISIS propaganda which specifically referenced the India vs Pakistan match at this major event … raises concerns and reinforces the need for heightened vigilance” among security partners, the bulletin is quoted as saying by ABC News.

According to Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, there were threats against the World Cup in April related to ISIS-K, notably regarding the India vs. Pakistan match.

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”.

According to NBC New York, Nassau County has never before undergone such extensive security planning for a World Cup event, and it is being handled similarly to 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.

Built specifically for the competition, the 30,000-seat World Cup Cricket stadium will split matches in the United States with the Dallas arena. The exhibition match between India and Bangladesh will take place on June 1. After that, on June 3, the regular tournament matches between India and Sri Lanka will begin, and they will continue until June 12 with an India vs. US encounter. One of the most watched athletic events worldwide is the World Cup match between India and Pakistan, which hasn’t played a bilateral series in a few years because of bad political relations. June 2–29, 2024, will see matches for the T20 World Cup in nine stadiums, three in the United States and six in the West Indies.

“The safety and security of everyone at the event is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place….We work closely with authorities in our host countries and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event,” the ICC had stated.

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