Operation Praghat: B'desh national among 8 arrested in anti-terror Ops across 3 states

Guwahati, Dec 19: The Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police, in collaboration with police forces from West Bengal and Kerala, has dismantled a terror module that aimed to incite religious tensions and destabilise communal harmony in the region.

Dubbed Operation Praghat, the coordinated operation led to the arrest of eight individuals linked to anti-national activities. Among the apprehended are four individuals from Kokrajhar, one from Dhubri, two from West Bengal, and a Bangladeshi national captured in Kerala.

The accused were allegedly operating under the guidance of Md. Farhan Israk, a close associate of Nassimuddin Rehmani, the leader of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a banned affiliate of Al Qaeda in Bangladesh.

According to Assam Police, the Bangladesh national, identified as Md. Sad Radi alias Md. Shab Sheikh (32), infiltrated India in November 2024. “His mission was to propagate extremist ideology and establish sleeper cells across India, targeting like-minded individuals for violent and subversive actions,” said Special Director General of Police (SDGP), Harmeet Singh, on Thursday.

Detailing his modus operandi, Singh added that after his arrival, Radi visited Assam and West Bengal to meet ABT sleeper cell operatives before moving to Kerala for similar activities. “His actions posed an imminent threat to national security, prompting STF Assam to register an FIR and launch the coordinated operation under the direct supervision of STF Chief Dr. Partha Sarathi Mahanta, IPS,” Singh added.

On the night of December 17-18, teams from Assam Police conducted simultaneous raids in Kerala, West Bengal, and Assam. “The arrests, along with the seizure of incriminating documents and materials, revealed a well-organised network aiming to incite communal violence and assassinate prominent religious leaders,” said Singh.

Investigations revealed that the group held meetings in Murshidabad and Falakata, West Bengal, where they discussed plans to target members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other Hindu organisations. “Their ultimate goal was to assassinate prominent Hindu leaders and spark widespread communal unrest,” Singh continued.

These individuals were actively involved in the procurement of arms and ammunition, as a part of the larger conspiracy to wage war against India. "Evidence suggests that these activities were carried out with the intent to equip and strengthen the operational/violent/disruptive capabilities of Jihadi/Extremist groups aiming to destabilise the Nation's security and sovereignty," a statement issued by the Assam Police read.

The apprehended individuals are currently being interrogated, and further investigations are underway to dismantle the larger network of terror operatives, Singh informed.

The other six arrested individuals are -

• Md. Sad Radi alias Shab Sheikh (36), Bangladeshi national, apprehended in Kerala without valid travel documents.
• Minarul Sheikh (40) and Md. Abbas Ali (33), both from Murshidabad, West Bengal.
• Nur Islam Mandal (40), Abdul Karim Mandal (30), and Mojibar Rahman (46) from Kokrajhar, Assam.
• Enamul Hoque (29) from Dhubri, Assam.