Deadly plot to assassinate religious and RSS leaders in Assam and West Bengal thwarted by Assam police STF

Assam police special task force (STF) thwarted a deadly plot of Islamic terrorist group to attack religious leaders and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders. Addressing a press conference special DGP Harmit Singh said that STF arrested 8 Islamic terrorists in a multistate operation conducted on 17 and 18 December. The arrested terrorists are linked with the Bangladesh-based terrorist organisation Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a wing of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

Operation ‘Praghat’ was launched by STF Assam and several teams of STF raided in Kerala, West Bengal and Assam. 3 Islamic terrorists were arrested from Kerala and West Bengal and 5 were arrested from Assam during the operation.

Notorious ABT terrorist Mohammed Shak Radi alias Mohammed Shab Sheikh was arrested by STF from Kerala. The arrested terrorist entered Indian territory in November. He entered India to executive several anti India operations under the direct instruction of ABT commander Farhan Israq. He entered India through the West Bengal border in November and later visited Assam and Kerala to activate the sleeper cells of terrorist organisation Ansarullah Bangla Team. His additional task was to create a terrorist network to executive violence and subversive activities in India to destabilise the nation.

The module of the terrorist group ABT was ready to create sleeper cells across India and particularly in Assam and West Bengal. They were also planning a covert operation in Assam and West Bengal in the current month with a target of maximum damage. STF is now interrogating the arrested terrorists for further details of their sleeper network.

Earlier on December 18, continuing its operations against jihadi islamic radicals, Assam police Special Task Force (STF) had arrested 5 Bangladesh based terrorist group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) members from Kokrajhar and Dhubri districts. STF arrested four suspected terrorists from Kokrajhar and one from Dhubri in a series of overnight raids.

Nur Mohhamad, Mujibur Rahman, Hamidul Islam and Abdul Karim were arrested from different parts of Kokrajhar district another suspected terrorist Inamul Haque was arrested from Dhubri for their link with Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) affiliated ABT.

The raid led by a team of STF officers in coordination with local police lasted for several hours. Details of the operation are yet to be disclosed by the STF but police sources said that the arrested persons were involved in anti-national activities and linked with banned Bangladesh-based terrorist group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).

Earlier on 12th December, National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids in Assam and arrested 4 suspected Jaish e Mohammad (JeM) terrorists. Four Islamists have been taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from various locations inside the Goalpara district of Assam in connection with the ongoing anti-terror operations by the investigation agency. Since 3 am of December 12 NIA has conducted search operations in various parts of the district. The Assam police Special Task Force (STF) helps the NIA with the raids. The four—Sahanur Alam, Joynal Abedin, Sahanur Islam, and Abu Taleb Ahmed—have been arrested and are being questioned at the Goalpara reserve police outpost following raids at Krishnai, Tukura, Barpahar, and Gobindapurchala in the district.

Recall that the NIA detained Sheikh Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi during a search in the district in October of last year. He was suspected of being connected to the outlawed Islamic terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). Sources in Assam police told ‘Organiser Weekly’ that the arrested Sheikh Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi was organising a base for the LeT including organising funds for the terror outfit. Earlier in October, National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested 12 Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists in Goalpara district of Assam. The arrests were made in suspicion of preparing ground for the outlawed Islamist terrorist group “Jaish-e-Mohammed.” This comes in the wake of the group’s two members’ arrests in Hojai district in Assam.