NE on radar of Bangla-based Jehadis
By R Dutta Choudhury
GUWAHATI, Aug 30 Jehadi groups from Bangladesh, under the banner of United
Jehad Council based in the neighbouring country, have launched efforts to
create disturbance in the North East region of India and the ultimate aim of
the groups backed by the Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) is to cut
off the region from the rest of the country. Of late, the police and security
agencies came across disturbing intelligence inputs about the attempts of the
Jehadi elements and all the forces involved in the counter-insurgency
operations have been alerted to thwart the move of such anti-national forces.
Highly placed police sources said that almost all the Jehadi groups have come
under a common umbrella organisation, that is the Bangladesh based United Jehad
Council, and what is more disturbing is that such groups have also started
extending help to the militant groups of the region to achieve their own goal.
In fact, last month, intelligence agencies came across reports that Jehadi
elements from Bangladesh entered Assam along with the members of the United
Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to create disturbance during the Independence
Day celebrations.
Police said that according to intelligence inputs, at least six to seven Jehadi
elements belonging to the Jamat ul Mujahideen and Harkat ul Jehadi Islami
managed to sneak into Assam from Bangladesh last month by taking advantage of
the porous international border and their assigned task is to create
disturbance in Guwahati city. Sources said that they managed to enter Assam
through Mankachar in Dhubri district and police now know the names of two of
them. They are Rezaul Karim, an explosive expert, and Jahir Ali, both
Bangladeshi nationals. However, despite best efforts, the police and security
forces have not been able to nab them as yet and they are still at large.
Police said that last year also, a group of Jehadi elements managed to
penetrate into Assam with an assignment to create major disturbance in the
State and they were planning a series of blasts on trains on July 23. But
fortunately, the security agencies came to know about the plan just a few days
before and it was foiled. This time also, the security agencies managed to get
hold of information about the plans of the Jehadi elements but so far those who
entered the state are yet to be traced, which kept the police and security
agencies on their toes.
Sources revealed that taking advantage of a sizeable number of migrant
population in certain districts of Assam, the Jehadi elements are trying to
establish their roots in the state and they also extended help to organisations
like the MULFA and MULTA. Sources said that their goal is to establish network
and organise sleeper cells that would work as informers and would also
provide shelter to the Jehadi elements sent from Bangladesh to create
disturbance in the state.
It may be mentioned here that in the late 1990s, the network of the ISI-backed
organizations in Assam were busted following the arrests of four ISI operatives
in the city and on the basis of their interrogation report, at least 40 Harkat
Ul Mujahideen (HUM) militants, some of whom were trained in Pakistan, were
arrested from different parts of the State. After lying low for some time after
the busting of the network, the Jehadi elements have once again started their
efforts to establish roots in Assam and in recent times also, a number of
youths were reportedly taken to Bangladesh for training. However, police
admitted that there is no report of youths being taken to Pakistan in recent
times. Police claimed that though the Jehadi elements coming into the state
from Bangladesh could not be nabbed, a number of MULTA and MULFA activists were
arrested. In the last three years, at least 50 Islamic militants were arrested
and about the same number of militants surrendered and
from them, the police and security agencies managed to know a great deal about
the game plan of the groups.
On the links between ULFA and Jehadi elements, police said that according to
information available with the intelligence agencies, the Jehadi groups
extended help not only to the ULFA but also to other militant groups and one
aim is to achieve the goal of creating disturbance. The Jehadi elements by
helping out the militant groups, also managed to ensure security to one
particular community of people, sources pointed out.
Police said that the ULFA is still maintaining links with the ISI and the
Pakistani agency is providing explosives, PTD switches, timer devices etc to
the militant outfit. Sources said that in the 1990s, at least 20 ULFA members
were given training in Pakistan in handling of explosives, particularly
programmable time devices and now the role of the ISI is limited to providing
explosives and other materials.
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