GUWAHATI: In a swift midnight strike on December 29, Assam Police’s Special Task Force (STF) launched Operation Pratighat, swooping down across the state and into neighbouring Tripura and busted the Jihadi network of Imam Mahmadur Kafila (IMK) . 10 Islamist jihadis were apprehended in various Assam hideouts, with the 11th caught red-handed in Tripura—thwarting a major terror plot in its tracks.
Addressing the media, Assam police STF chief IGP Partha Sarathi Mahanta said that Bangladesh-based Islamist terror groups are trying to create unrest in the Northeast region. Imam Mahamudur Kafila (IMK) is an offshoot of Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a banned Islamic terror outfit. IMK was founded in the year 2018 by Jewel Mahmud @ Imam Mahmud Habibullah @ Sohail. This ex-JMB terrorist, Imam Mahmud, floated the IMK terror module to propagate the Gazwa e Hind. Indian intelligence agencies received inputs that, following the regime change in Bangladesh in August 2024, the JMB, Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) leadership instructed IMK to activate and expand the Indian module of the terror group.
After the instructions, Bangladeshi nationals Omar and Khalid were assigned to activate the Assam module of IMK and Nasimuddin alias Tamim was assigned as the head of the Assam cell. All communication between the IMK Assam module and its handlers in Bangladesh was conducted via secure social media platforms. One such group name was ‘Purba Akash’ (East Sky), which served as the principal communication and recruitment platform. Persons belonging to West Bengal, Assam and Tripura were radicalised, recruited and financially mobilised and connected with the terror group, including persons possessing Indian passports and having prior visits to Bangladesh and known former members of proscribed terror outfits. IMK is propagating the Gazwatul Hind ideology through violent Jihad and armed conquest of India through dedicated websites and secured social media platforms.
IMK is using mosques in Assam, Tripura and West Bengal to radicalise people and advocates for armed violence in India. On December 28, 2024, IMK held a meeting in a mosque in Barpeta where jihadi Nasiruddin and Monirul Islam made statements advocating violent armed struggle against India to stop atrocities against Muslims. IMK collected huge amounts of funds in Assam, West Bengal and Tripura through donations in cash or Bank deposits and regularly transferred it to Bangladesh via Hawala networks.
Based on intelligence reports of central intelligence agencies and STF’s own inputs, an operation was launched simultaneously in Assam and Tripura. STF conducted the midnight operation in Baksa, Chirang, Darrang and Barpeta districts of Assam and nabbed 11 Jihadis, while one Jihadi was arrested from Tripura.
IGP Mahanta further informed that the arrested persons were involved in anti-national activities and planning an armed Jihad against India while simultaneously involved in indoctrination of Muslim youth toward Jihad through digital media. The arrested group was linked with different groups based in other states of India. Assam police STF is in touch with the concerned state police and central intelligence agencies to bust the entire jihadi network. Several youth from Assam were sent to Bangladesh for armed training. The arrested Jihadis were identified as
Nasim Uddin @ Najimuddin @ Tamim (24 yrs), Junab Ali (38 yrs), Afrahim Hussain (24), Mizanur Rehman(46 yrs), Sultan Mehmud (40 yrs), Md.Siddique Ali (46 yrs), Rasidul Aalam (28 yrs), Mahibul Khan (25 yrs), Sharuk Hussain(22 yrs), Md Dilbar Razak (26 yrs) and Jagir Miah(33 yrs) of West Tripura.
