Extremists inspired by Islamic State terror group may have sneaked into Hong Kong or are already lurking in the city, putting anti-terrorist police on alert to prevent lone wolf-style attacks. Local police said Hong Kong could be a potential target because it is a high-profile home to many global institutions and representatives, but did not go into details about the possibility of militants already in the city.

Analysts told TODAY that the terrorism threat in Hong Kong could come from various sources. Associate research fellow Stefanie Kam from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies pointed to the potential radicalisation and recruitment of vulnerable migrant workers, or human smugglers.

“Uighurs have purportedly used Hong Kong or Macau to transit to South-east Asia,” she told TODAY. “Due to Hong Kong’s proximity to South-east Asia, which is home to extremist and militant groups, the role of clandestine human smuggling networks and terrorist groups facilitating terrorist activity across the region is also not entirely implausible.”