High alert as 3 JeM terrorists enter Bihar via Nepal border, police put up posters

PATNA — The Bihar Police Headquarters on Thursday issued a statewide high alert after intelligence inputs suggested the entry of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operatives into the state through the Nepal border.

According to a senior official of Bihar Police, three suspected terrorists -- Hasnain Ali (Rawalpindi), Adil Hussain (Umerkot) and Mohammad Usman (Bahawalpur) -- allegedly reached Kathmandu in mid-August and crossed into Bihar last week.

Following the inputs, police have circulated the suspects’ passport details across border districts, including Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Supaul, Araria, East Champaran and West Champaran, as well as Kishanganj.

Security agencies and district intelligence units have been directed to step up surveillance, verify identities, and act on the suspicious movements of any person.

Officials have not revealed the exact border point used by the suspects, but have issued an alert for all.

The India-Nepal border remains porous, with visa-free movement allowed under the bilateral treaty, making infiltration a serious challenge for security agencies.

Security has also been intensified in the Muslim dominant Seemanchal region.

Officials said patrolling and surveillance have been stepped up, with district intelligence units tasked to monitor and act upon any suspicious activity.

Notably, security was already beefed up along the border in May after Operation Sindoor.

With the Assembly elections due later this year, intelligence agencies believe such infiltration attempts could pose a serious threat to prominent leaders and election events in the state.

This comes against the backdrop of recent counter-terror crackdowns in Bihar.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), along with state police, had earlier busted several PFI (Popular Front of India) modules in districts like Patna’s Phulwari Sharif, which were allegedly involved in anti-national activities.