Possible terror act averted, 2 suspects held: Assam Police
Special director-general of police Harmeet Singh said Assam Police’s Special Task Force (STF) made the arrests and recoveries during a search operation
The Assam Police on Wednesday said they averted a possible terrorist act by arresting two terror suspects and recovering a large cache of arms and ammunition at Namapara in Korajhar late on Tuesday night as part of a crackdown under Operation Praghat against fundamentalists.

Special director-general of police Harmeet Singh said Assam Police’s Special Task Force (STF) made the arrests and recoveries during a search operation. “This has averted a possible major terror act by fundamentalist jihadi elements,” he said.
Singh said Kokrajhar residents Abdul Zaher Sheikh and Sabbir Mirdha were arrested based on interrogation of the eight alleged members of Bangladesh-based terror outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team arrested last week from Assam, West Bengal, and Kerala. The eight included a Bangladeshi national.
“Subsequent interrogation [of Sheikh and Mirdha] and search operations led to the recovery of a huge cache of arms and ammunition and other war-like items from the hideout of one of the arrested accused persons,” said Singh.
Police said they recovered four handmade rifles, 34 rounds of live ammunition, 24 rounds of blank cartridges, one pair of improvised explosive devices, one handmade grenade, circuit detonators made from agricultural equipment, electronic switches, iron cases, iron pieces, and plates, switches and wires with explosives used in firecrackers. Other incriminating items were also found, they added.
Singh said it was clear that the alleged terror module was looking to create mass destruction. “They were running sleeper cells across our eastern and northwestern borders,” said Singh. He added the fundamentalists have become more active after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government in Bangladesh in August.