Guwahati: From Tripura to Assam, Bangladesh-based Ansarullah Bangal Team or the Ansarul Islam seems to be on a mission mode to activate sleeper cells in the Northeast.
Continuing its crackdown on such terror modules, the Assam Police has taken custody of three Ansarullah Bangal Team operatives from Tripura.
The culprits were identified as Abdul Kashem, Hamid Ali and Imran Hussain who visited Bongaigaon and Barpeta in Assam recently.
The trio were arrested from Sonamura in Tripura’s Sepahijala district on April 8 when they tried to activate sleeper cells in the areas by recruiting local youths.
Sources informed that Chief Judicial Magistrate Sonamura ordered a transit remand for the three accused after scrutinising the case diary of Assam police and prima facie evidence of their involvement in anti-national activities.
Meanwhile, speaking to Northeast Live Bongaigaon SP Swapnaneel Deka said that the arrested terrorists have revealed that Ansarullah Bangal has formed a team in Bongaigaon with several members recruited from the local populace.
It was also revealed that the Ansarullah Bangal team had also visited several places like Jogighopa and Abhayapuri and recruit locals for their sleeper cells.
It may be mentioned that while earlier the trio were suspected to be members of the Jamaat-Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, it is being learnt now that they are operating for the Ansarullah Bangal Team or the Bangladesh chapter of Al Qaeda. Among the three one is an Imam of a local mosque, another is a teacher and the third a farmer.
Earlier, as many as 6 individuals with alleged links with operatives of Bangladesh-based Ansarul Islam or Ansarullah Bangal team were arrested from Barpeta in Assam.
