In a major breakthrough, the Assam Police’s Special Task Force (STF) arrested eight terror suspects, including a Bangladesh national, Md Sad Radi, who is associated with the Al-Qaeda affiliate Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). Radi had entered India in November with the goal of activating sleeper cells in Assam and West Bengal. After carrying out initial operations, he moved to Kerala, where he was arrested in a coordinated effort with Kerala and Bengal police.
The STF’s operation, named “Praghat,” was launched based on detailed intelligence that uncovered plans by the terrorist group to target Hindu organizations, particularly members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Radi’s movement across multiple states raised alarms, suggesting that the terror plot was larger in scope than initially anticipated.
The group, led by Md Farhan Israk, an aide of an ABT leader in Bangladesh, was plotting violent acts, including assassinations of prominent Hindu leaders, to create communal unrest and disrupt national harmony. According to the STF, the suspects were working to recruit youth into terrorist organizations and were involved in spreading radical ideologies across West Bengal and Kerala.
The arrested individuals, including Minarul Sheikh, Md Abbas Ali, and others, were found to have participated in several meetings where they devised strategies to target Hindu groups and influence vulnerable youth to join their cause. These meetings, held in locations across West Bengal like Murshidabad and Falakata, were aimed at fostering religious tensions.
Special Director General of Police Harmeet Singh highlighted the importance of this operation in curbing the spread of external jihadi elements into India, stressing that it was a crucial step in preventing a potential outbreak of violence. The STF’s success in dismantling this plot underscores the growing threat posed by terrorist networks in the region and the need for continued vigilance.
