India-Syria to upgrade security consultations over Isis threat

(AGI) - New Delhi, Aug 22 - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that as a growing power, India has a role to play in fighting terrorism. Indian Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar met Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. India has reached out to Syria after the news of 20-odd missing Indians and series of Islamic State(ISIS) related arrests in India. India had so far kept itself away from ongoing conflict in Syria. But both the countries have now agreed to boost security consultations by sharing intelligence reports. India has often stressed on the need for better global coordination to beat the threat posed by terrorist organisations such as the ISIS. According to the sources, the Syrian President has asked Indian minister to take strong stance against the problem posed by the ISIS. India has so far not decided to join the global coalition against the ISIS as it feels that could fuel sectarian clashes among Muslims in India. However, experts believe that the ISIS at present is not a serious threat for India. But, it has the potential to destabilise the social fabric of the country. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has made a host of arrests for suspected pro-ISIS activities in India recently. (AGI)
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