Assam: Special Task Force Averts Major Terror Attack by ABT Cell; Arrests 2

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The Assam Police Special Task Force (STF) has succeeded in averting a major possible terror attack by nabbing two members of a module of the global terror organization, Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), connected to AQIS or Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent.

Special DGP Harmeet Singh on Wednesday said, “Last night, continuing its ‘Operation Praghat,’ the STF Assam carried out another successful ‘Raid and Search Operation’ with the help of Kokrajhar Police at Namapara under the Kokrajhar police station area and succeeded in averting a huge terror attack by fundamentalist jihadi elements of the global terror organisation ABT, part of AQIS. They were planning a major terror attack, which would have created mass destruction in the country.”

Special DGP Harmeet Singh said this operation, carried out on Tuesday night, has been successful in averting a major act of terror planned by the Bangladesh-based handlers of the arrested members of the terror outfit. The operation was carried out under the direct supervision of STF, Assam chief Partha Sarathi Mahanta.

He stated that the operation was carried out during the course of the investigation into STF-PS Case No. 21/2024 under Sections 61(2)/147/148/149, read with Section 10/13/16/18/18B/20 UA (P) Act 1967, and Section 12 (1)(a) of the Passport Act 1967. The case was registered on December 10, 2024, and on the basis of the interrogation of the 8 Jihadi cadres of ABT/AQIS arrested earlier, two persons were arrested from Kokrajhar yesterday. They are Abdul Zaher Sheikh of village Joypur Namapara, under police station and district Kokrajhar, and Sabbir Mirdha, of Ramfalbil Bazar under Serfanguri PS in Kokrajhar, who was staying at the house of one Osman Ali at Kachipara Bazar, under police station and district Kokrajhar. The duo was part of a sleeper cell, which was activated post the situation in Bangladesh, the DGP said.

In the course of subsequent interrogation and search operations, as per Section 23 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), a huge cache of arms and ammunition and other warlike items was recovered from the hideout of one of the arrested accused persons, DGP Singh added.

The recovered arms and ammunition, along with other items, are 4 handmade rifles made to look like AKs; 34 rounds of live ammunition; 24 rounds of blank cartridges; a pair of live un-primed IEDs with cortex; one handmade grenade with explosives; one circuit of detonators made out of agricultural equipment; 14 electronic switches; 3 iron cases used for making IEDs with 20 iron pieces and plates for causing maximum damage/destruction; and a huge number of switches and wires with explosives used in firecrackers, along with other incriminating items.

Also Read: Operation Praghat: Assam Police Special Task Force Busts Jihadi Network, Arrests 8

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