India to train Japan's counter-terror intelligence unit

NEW DELHI: India will offer full support to augment capabilities of Japan’s newly-created intelligence unit, including training one of its officers who will be posted in Delhi, as part of the robust counter-terror partnership forged between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

Such Japanese officers are also being posted in Amman, Cairo and Jakarta, officials said. India will offer training facilities to Japan’s counter-terror officers, they said. The Modi government has also assured support to Japan in contributing to security arrangements during the G-7 summit, which is scheduled to take place at Kashiko Island in Japan’s Mie Prefecture in May 2016.

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Japan has not been a victim of terror on its soil for many years and has limited counter-terror capabilities, officials said. Japan has not played any significant role in global counter-terror initiatives so far either. However, Japanese nationals have been targeted recently in certain countries in Asia by Islamic State and other extremist groups. Japanese nationals are stationed in various countries, from peaceful zones to terrorism hotspots, owing to the country’s huge economic presence and therefore face security risk.

The Islamic State terrorists killed two Japanese hostages in Syria last February. Three Japanese women were killed in a terror strike in a museum in Tunisia in March. One Japanese citizen was killed in Bangladesh in October. The incidents influenced the Japanese government to launch a counterterrorism intelligence unit on December 8.

Following the terror strikes in Paris on November 13 days ahead of COP-21, Japan is worried about ensuring security at multilateral summits.