Multiple Caribbean islands have received terror threats ahead of the T20 World Cup which begins on 1 June. Cricket West Indies (CWI) has moved to ease fears of anything going wrong at the extravaganza.
As per the security alert, “Pro-Islamic State (IS) media sources have launched campaigns inciting violence against sporting events, which included video messages from the Afghanistan-Pakistan branch, ISKhorasan (IS-K) which highlighted assaults in numerous countries and urged supporters to join the battlefield in their countries.”
Media outlets in Caribbean reported that authorities are working to mitigate the threats by these terrorist outfits.
A Trinidad Daily Express report quoted the island’s PM Keith Rowley as saying that the security agencies are working to combat the threat posed. Further, Barbados’ regional security is also monitoring any potential threats.
The reports claim the threat originated from Pro-Islamic State (Daesh) through the media group “Nashir Pakistan”. According to the Daily Express report, Nashir-e Pakistan is an Islamic State group-affiliated propaganda channel.
On their part, Cricket West Indies have moved to reduce any fears of security issues at the T20 World Cup. The World Cup matches will be held in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago. The matches in USA will be played in Florida, New York and Texas. The two semifinals will be played in Trinidad and Guyana with the final slated for Barbados.
“We work closely with authorities in the host countries and cities, and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event,” Jonny Graves, CWI CEO said.
“We want to assure all stakeholders that safety and security of everyone at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place,” he added.
The T20 World Cup is scheduled to be co-hosted by West Indies and USA from 1 to 29 June.
