Assam STF arrests another cadre of Bangladesh-based terror g
Assam STF arrests another cadre of Bangladesh-based terror group from Chennai
Assam Police's Special Task Force (STF), as part of its operation 'Praghat', has arrested one more associate of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a Bangladesh-based terror group affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)
GUWAHATI — The
Assam Police's Special Task Force (STF), as part of its operation 'Praghat',
has arrested one more associate of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a
Bangladesh-based terror group affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Indian
Subcontinent (AQIS), from Chennai, officials said on Thursday.
With the latest arrest, the STF so far arrested 16
associates of the ABT from Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
An Assam police spokesman said that the STF, Assam, with the
active collaboration of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Police, launched a swift
and meticulously planned operation in the early hours of Wednesday and
successfully captured a key operative, Abu Salam Ali.
He was apprehended in Chennai, under Semmencherry Police
Station, marking yet another decisive strike against anti-national networks, he
said. The detainee hails from Bilasipara in western Assam's Dhubri district,
which shares international borders with Bangladesh and inter-state borders with
West Bengal.
The arrested individual has been identified as an active
member of the ABT and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, with close ties to previously
apprehended operatives from Kokrajhar and Dhubri, who were taken into custody
by STF Assam for their involvement in the same extremist case.
According to the spokesman, since December 17 last year
2024, Salam Ali had been on the run, relentlessly evading law enforcement in a
bid to escape justice.
"Investigations have uncovered that the arrested
operative played a crucial role in the conspiracy, working in close
coordination with Nur Islam Mandal and Shahinur Islam aimed at strengthening
extremist factions. Their intent was unmistakable to undermine national
security, disturb peace, and endanger India’s sovereignty. This arrest
represents yet another significant stride in breaking the network of radical
elements determined to spread unrest and threaten the nation’s integrity,"
he said.
According to the STF sources, the 16 detainees, including
Bangladeshi nationals, were working under the direction of Md Farhan Israk, a
close associate of Jasimuddin Rahmani, the Chief of ABT.
"The ABT sent one Bangladeshi national Md Sad Radi
alias Md Shab Sheikh (32) a resident of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, to India to
spread their nefarious ideology amongst like-minded people in the
country," the sources said.
He was apprehended from Kerala in December last year.
"As evidence suggests, their activities were organised with the intent to
equip and promote their operational capabilities of extremist groups aiming to
destabilise the country's security and sovereignty," the sources added.
"The investigation has been going on to unearth the
whole nexus spreading across the country," the spokesman said.
He said that under the direction of STF Chief Partha Sarathi
Mahanta, 'Operation Praghat' has been underway since November last year.
Top Assam Police officials earlier said the eight arrested
persons were handlers in Pakistan and Bangladesh. They were working to form
'sleeper cells' in different parts of India and there were plans to assassinate
leaders belonging to the Hindu community and RSS, besides undertaking violent
and subversive activities in India, the officials had said.
