8 Arrested in Assam for Plot to Target RSS, Hindu Groups
A major counter-terrorism operation led by Assam Police’s Special Task Force (STF) resulted in the arrest of eight individuals, including a Bangladesh national, Md Sad Radi, a member of an Al-Qaeda affiliate, Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). The operation, named Operation Praghat, spanned across Kerala, Assam, and West Bengal, with the STF working closely with local police forces in these states. The arrested individuals were allegedly planning violent activities aimed at destabilizing the region and targeting Hindu organizations, including the RSS.
Md Sad Radi, also known as Md Shab Seikh, was arrested in Kerala after traveling through Assam and West Bengal, where he reportedly met with sleeper cells of ABT. His mission, according to the STF, was to activate these sleeper cells and carry out subversive acts. The group’s plan was to disrupt communal harmony and create unrest in India, with a particular focus on targeting RSS members and other Hindu organizations.
The STF emphasized that these arrests were part of a larger effort to counter terrorism inspired by the instability in neighboring Bangladesh. Md Radi was allegedly in contact with Md Farhan Israk, a key aide of Jasimuddin Rahmani, the leader of Ansarullah Bangla Team, and their activities were part of a broader international terror plot.
The arrested individuals, whose ages ranged from 29 to 46, were also involved in efforts to recruit local youth for ABT and AQIS through meetings in Murshidabad and Falakata in West Bengal. This arrest is seen as a significant step in thwarting a large-scale terror plot. Assam Special DGP Harmeet Singh described it as a success and emphasized that the plan was much larger than just Assam and Bengal. The investigation continues, and authorities remain vigilant against such threats.
