Basing operations on credible intelligence, the Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police executed multiple raids in Assam and Tripura, resulting in the arrest of 11 members of the radical Islamic module called Imam Mahmuder Kafila (IMK), linked to a Bangladesh-based terrorist group. The arrests occurred across Barpeta, Chirang, Baksa, and Darrang districts in Assam on December 29 and 30. The suspects include individuals aged between 22 to 46, mainly from Barpeta and Baksa districts, as well as Tripura.
The STF’s actions were influenced by careful monitoring of jihadi activities in North East India, particularly in light of recent developments in Bangladesh. The IMK, founded by Jewel Mahmud in 2018 as an offshoot of the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), was reportedly directed by senior leaders of various terrorist organizations to activate its Indian modules after a regime change in Bangladesh in August 2024. The module’s operations were coordinated via secure social media platforms, notably a group named ‘Purva Akash’, focusing on the radicalization and recruitment of individuals from Assam, West Bengal, and Tripura. This included connections with individuals holding Indian passports and past affiliations with other banned terrorist organizations.