4 more terror suspects with alleged links to Al Qaida arrested in Assam

Assam chief minister Himant Biswa Sarma said the arrest of Sadek Ali is a significant achievement since he has been radicalising youngsters for past 2 years

Published on: Oct 17, 2022, 18:40:51 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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The Assam police on Monday arrested four persons with alleged links to Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a Bangladesh-based terror outfit affiliated to Al Qaida in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

The Assam police have arrested 40 persons, including a Bangladeshi national, for their alleged links to Al Qaida in Indian Subcontinent since April this year (Representative Image)

Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to Twitter to announce the arrests of Sadek Ali and Jakibul Ali in Tamulpur district and Habel Ali and Abu Raihan in Nalbari district.

“We are determined to root out jihadi elements from Assam,” Sarma said mentioning that both Sadek and Jakibul had lured youngsters to join ABT.

“Arrest of Sadek Ali is a significant achievement since he has been radicalising youth including Jakibul Ali for past 2 years. He was also associated with JMB (Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh) and neo-JMB,” Sarma tweeted.

Since April, the state police have arrested around 40 persons including a Bangladeshi national for their alleged links to ABT on charges of indoctrinating youngsters about jihad and creating sleeper cells of the Bangladeshi outfit.

Last month, chief minister Sarma informed the assembly that 84 persons have been arrested in the state since May 2016 (when the first Bharatiya Janata Party-led government formed) for alleged jihadi activities.

Of those arrested, 35 were from Jamat Ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), 9 from Hijbul Mujahideen (HM) and 40 others from Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT)—all three terror groups based in Bangladesh.

The government informed the assembly that of those arrested 10, including a Bangladeshi national Saiful Islam alias Mohammed Suman, were connected to madrasas in some way or other.

“These people used to deliver speeches in madrasas and mosques with jihadi links and in religious gatherings where they incited people to take part in jihad and distribute jihadi literature. Till date no one has been injured or killed in Assam due to jihadi activities,” Sarma informed while replying to a question.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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