New Delhi, Aug 26 (Prensa Latina) The Indian authorities are looking for 17 young people with alleged links to terrorist organizations amid fears caused by the rise of Islamic extremism in the country, revealed today The Indian Express.

The newspaper mentions a list of 17 missing people, who allegedly joined or plan to join organizations like the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Nusra Front, both considered terrorists by the international community.

The situation caused alarm in the government, which last November said the threat from the IS was negligible, stresses the newspaper.

Therefore, earlier this month, the Ministry of Home Affairs called a meeting of the Directors General of Police and Home Secretaries from 12 states to discuss the issue, it adds.

Although photos of Indian militants were posted on IS websites in the past, the presence of nationals in that radical organization is tiny compared with the thousands of foreigners fighting in its ranks, says the newspaper.

However, according to The Indian Express, the new Indian counter-terrorism czar, Asif Ibrahim, promoted a program to fight radicalization.

Even though the numbers are still small, government sources say the action plan is based on mounting evidence of the impact of IS propaganda among some young Muslims.

They are disenchanted with the traditional religious and political leadership and angered by growing communal violence, says the newspaper.

Some 170 million Indians are Muslim, 14,2 percent of the 1,250 million inhabitants of the country, according to the latest census released on Tuesday.