Every International Cricket Council (ICC) tournament awaits India vs. Pakistan match, and the T20 World Cup 2024 is no exception. On 9th June, the arch-rivals will square off at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. However, security services were placed on high alert prior to the intense match because ISIS-K had threatened to launch a “Lone Wolf” attack during the encounter.
Lone Wolf “is a particular kind of mass murder, committed in a public setting by an individual who plans and commits the act on their own.”
Therefore, during the game, the agencies intend to bolster security surrounding the arena. Security personnel would be keeping a close watch on everything in the area. Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman disclosed that 100 extra security guards will be stationed at the event in addition to the regular crew. New York State Police have been “directed to engage in elevated security measures, including an increased law enforcement presence, advanced surveillance, and thorough screening processes,” according to a statement made by Governor Kathy Hochul on 29th May.
He added, “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.”
At the press conference, Patrick Ryder mentioned that more police would be deployed to the Eisenhower Park cricket stadium. He added, “We will go to every fine detail when it comes to the security and safety of the residents here.” There was some ambiguity on the magnitude of the threat expressed in a chat group by ISIS-Khorasan, the terrorist group that operates out of South and Central Asia as an affiliate of the Islamic State. “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,” conveyed Bruce Blakeman while talking to reporters.
He emphasised, “Each and every day, Nassau County, as well as other communities and cities and counties and towns throughout the United States, receive all kinds of threats. We take every threat seriously. To that end, we have taken many, many precautions. As well as making sure that the stadium and the surrounding Eisenhower Park are safe, the parking areas are safe, and the watch areas are safe, we also are adding 100 additional police officers to our normal staffing for the rest of the county, just as a precaution.”
Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder reassured the people of impenetrable security while acknowledging the potential threat posed by a “Lone Wolf” attack. He expressed, “When you’ve got a game and a crowd as big as this, everything is credible. We will go through every fine detail when it comes to the security and safety of the residents here in Nassau County. I can guarantee you this is the largest security we’ve ever had to do in this county’s history, and I can also guarantee you the safest place to be in Nassau County on June 9 will be inside that stadium.”
According to Patrick Ryder, the terror group is “calling for that ‘Lone Wolf’ to act out” in a video that has gone viral. He added that they had been receiving threats from “ISIS-K” since April, “where it was a global and international style threat.” He highlighted, “Then it got a little bit more specific towards the actual game of India versus Pakistan but did not name the place and then yesterday, you all saw the video that went global, and they are calling for that ‘Lone Wolf’ to act out.”
He was alluding to a video that ISIS-K had placed on a British chat site that showed “an image of the cricket stadium at Eisenhower Park in Nassau County with drones flying over it showing the date, “9/6/2024,” when the India-Pakistan match is scheduled to take place.” County officials noted that “they’ve requested the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) to make Eisenhower Park a no-fly zone for drones” in response to the drones being shown as attack vehicles.
The spectators were also guaranteed total security for the prominent game, according to the ICC which announced, “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 threat was initially publicized by the British publication Express, which also reported that Wembley Stadium and other sports venues throughout Europe are targets. It asserted that ISIS supporters are being urged to use strategies like drone attacks to target important events, including the Cricket World Cup.
The 30,000-seat World Cup Cricket venue was constructed especially for the championship and will share US matches with the Dallas stadium. The highly anticipated tournament is scheduled to begin on 1st June this year with a warm-up match between India and Bangladesh.
