Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the dreaded terrorist organisation, has come up with another terror threat during the course of FIFA World Cup 2018. The militant organisation has released new posters on a social-messaging app, Telegram, which reads, ‘Wolfs of the Caliphate be ready and steady for the season of hunting is soon’. Not just that, at the centre of the poster, is star Argentina football player Lionel Messi, again.
Last month, the Iraq based terror organisation had released posters threatening to execute both, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The posters had warned of carrying out violent activities against the two greatest sportspersons in the current era.
The ISIS has been responsible for a lot of suicide attacks over the world. Last year, the terror outfit was responsible for a terror attack in St. Petersburg - second largest city in Russia. The briefcase bomb attack saw a total of 14 people being killed in the region.
This is a second threat attempt by ISIS in less than a month. The current posters show Lionel Messi in an orange jumpsuit being held as a hostage by a terrorist who has wielded a knife in his head. The poster depicting Messi's beheading is indeed a scary one. Only a couple of weeks ago, the Argentinian captain had declined to play a match against Israel citing geopolitical tensions in the region.
Things are already not going well for Messi in the World Cup as the team lost to Iceland in their World Cup opener. Not only that, the star player also failed to convert a penalty kick in that match, of what could have been Argentina's night.
How much of a threat will these posters pose, will be a challenge for the Russian officials and security personnel. For now, the posters have cast a dark shadow over the smooth commencement of FIFA World Cup 2018.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 19, 2018 03:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).