NEW DELHI (TIP): Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde on November 21 said the Indian Mujahideen (IM) draws its “motivation and sustenance from inimical forces” in Pakistan and asked security forces to vigorously pursue leads emerging from investigations in terror cases. Addressing the annual directors general of police conference here, Shinde said India faces multifarious challenges to its internal security in the form of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, insurgency in the northeast, the threat of Left-wing extremism and terrorism in the hinterland of the country.

“Indian Mujahideen, which draws its motivation and sustenance from inimical forces operating from across the western border has been responsible for three out of four major terror attacks in our hinterland this year,” he said. The home minister said the IM was responsible for twin blasts in Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, and series of blasts in Bodhgaya and in Patna in Bihar. Shinde also said that security forces have to remain constantly alert and act in a cohesive manner to deal with these multifarious challenges.