Another Arrest Made in Assam Linked to ABT Terror Group
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Synopsis
On January 21, the Assam Police STF arrested another member of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a Bangladesh-based terror organization tied to Al-Qaeda. This brings the total number of arrests related to the group's activities to 14, as part of ongoing efforts to combat terrorism in the region.
Key Takeaways
- 14 arrests made in connection with ABT.
- Ajibar Rahman captured in Dhubri.
- Operation Praghat is targeting extremist groups.
- Evidence suggests plans to destabilize national security.
- Collaboration with local and international law enforcement.
Guwahati, January 21 (NationPress) The Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police has apprehended an additional member of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a terror organization from Bangladesh connected with Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), as reported by officials on Tuesday.
With this recent capture, the STF has now taken into custody 14 associates of the ABT from Assam, West Bengal, and Kerala.
An Assam Police representative stated that as part of 'Operation Praghat', aimed at combating fundamentalism and Global Terrorist Organizations (GTO), another sought-after Islamic extremist named Ajibar Rahman (31) was arrested in Dhubri, a district in Assam that borders Bangladesh and West Bengal.
Of the 14 individuals detained, which includes Bangladeshi nationals, they are reportedly operating under the guidance of Md Farhan Israk, a close aide of Jasimuddin Rahmani, the head of ABT.
The ABT dispatched a Bangladeshi national, Md Sad Radi alias Shab Sheikh, a resident of Rajshai, Bangladesh, to India with the goal of disseminating their malicious ideology among like-minded individuals across the nation.
“Evidence indicates that their activities were orchestrated to enhance and promote the operational capabilities of extremist factions that aim to undermine the security and sovereignty of the country. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the entire network operating throughout India,” the spokesperson stated.
Under the leadership of STF Chief Partha Sarathi Mahanta, Operation Praghat was executed successfully. On January 18, the STF managed to apprehend the highly sought-after Islamic extremist Jaheer Ali in Dhubri.
Previously, on December 30, the prime accused of ABT, Gazi Rahman (35), was captured with assistance from Kokrajhar Police. Following that, on December 27, another ABT associate, Shahinur Islam (36), was arrested in Bandhabpara located in Dhubri District, and on December 24, the STF arrested Abdul Zaher Sheikh and Sabbir Mirdha in Namapara of Kokrajhar District, recovering a substantial cache of arms and ammunition from one of the suspects' hideouts.
As part of Operation Praghat on the night of December 17-18, eight ABT operatives were apprehended across Assam, West Bengal, and Kerala.
Among these eight, five were detained in the districts of Kokrajhar and Dhubri in Assam, two in West Bengal, and one Bangladeshi national in Kerala. The Bangladeshi national Muhammad Sad Radi alias Md Shab Sheikh (32) was captured in Kerala.
Following the interrogation of the eight detainees, the remaining suspects were taken into custody from Dhubri and Kokrajhar, which border Bhutan and West Bengal.
“With these 14 arrests, the STF has achieved a significant success in preventing a potential major terror incident orchestrated by fundamentalist/jihadi factions of a Global Terrorist Organisation (GTO),” the spokesperson remarked.
Assam Police's Special Director General Harmeet Singh had stated earlier that the eight individuals apprehended were handlers operating from Pakistan and Bangladesh. They were working to establish 'sleeper cells' in various regions of India, with plans to target leaders from the Hindu community and RSS, in addition to carrying out violent and disruptive activities in India, Singh noted.
The Special DGP mentioned that Operation Praghat, under the direct oversight of STF Chief P.S. Mahanta, was initiated in November 2024 following a detailed review of intelligence inputs regarding clandestine anti-national activities being conducted by a group of individuals under the direction of Md Farhan Israk, a close collaborator of Jasimuddin Rahmani, the ABT Chief.
In December of the previous year, the Assam Police STF also captured five members of the Pakistan-linked terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) from Kokrajhar and Dhubri. Four JeM operatives were detained in Kokrajhar district, while one linkman was arrested in Dhubri district, according to a police officer.
