Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Following the arrest of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) rebels Bahar Miyan and Rasul Miyan, police are trying to identify the recipients of the calls made through 11 SIM cards recovered from them. Of the 11 SIMs, four were issued in Bangladesh, one in Nepal, and six were issued in India, including two in Assam.
The ABT rebels in custody of the Special Branch of Assam Police were stated to have called up their contacts in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Jammu & Kashmir and also placed calls to several people outside the country. Based on the call lists and history, the SB is examining the recipients of the calls. They have also written to different telecom operators, seeking details of the calls made through their SIMs. Interestingly, most of the calls were made to Ahmedabad, police sources said.
Four ISIS terrorists were arrested in Ahmedabad a few days ago, days after the city airport received a bomb threat. The terrorists, believed to be Sri Lankan nationals, were arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad after a tip-off. Officials identified the suspects as Mohammad Nusrat (33), Mohammad Farish (35), Mohammad Nafran (27), and Mohammad Rashdeen (43).
The SB is now examining whether any of the calls were made to the four ISIS terrorists, although no direct evidence is there to connect the ABT rebels to the ISIS operatives apprehended in Ahmedabad.
Although the Assam Police have intensified their search for AQIS (Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent) leader Khalil Miyan, one of the masterminds of the jihadi movement in India, and kept in touch with some neighbouring countries where Khalil Miyan is said to have travelled, the elusive Miyan is yet to be traced.
The police are also hot on the trial of Matiur Rahman, one of the facilitators of jihadis, by providing them forged PAN cards, Aadhaar cards, and other vital documents. Police raided the Samaguri residence of Matiur Rahman but found he had already escaped. They are now figuring out his jihadi contacts and trying to pin him down.
Although the incidents appear to be isolated, spreading jihadi ideology is the common thread binding all arrests and the hunt for jihadis in the state recently. Also apparent from these captures is the continued use of Assam as the corridor for spreading such ideology. These jihadis are said to favour the route from Bangladesh to Tripura and then to Assam, from where they can travel to any place in the country and beyond.
Also Read: ABT (Ansarullah Bangla Team) duo assigned for spreading jihad (sentinelassam.com)
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