Security forces have arrested 11 suspected jihadi operatives from Assam and Tripura in a major crackdown on extremist activities in the Northeast. The arrests were made following a coordinated operation by the Special Task Force (STF) and Assam Police, based on intelligence inputs from central agencies.

According to Assam Police, the Indian security and intelligence apparatus has been keeping a “hawk eye” on jihadi activities in Northeast India, with particular focus on Assam. Acting on detailed analysis provided by central intelligence agencies, the police detected the activities of the Imam Mahmuder Kafila (IMK) module, which led to the recent arrests.

Police officials said that the Imam Mahmuder Kafila (IMK) is a Bangladesh-based offshoot of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), an organisation that is banned in India. IMK was founded in 2018 by Jewel Mahmud and propagates the ideology of “Ghazwatul Hind”.

The police further stated that following the regime change in Bangladesh in August 2024, senior leaders of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) issued directions to the IMK leadership to activate and expand its modules in India. “In furtherance thereof, Bangladeshi nationals Umar and Khalid were assigned to coordinate Assam-based activities,” police said.

According to officials, the head of the Assam cell is Nasim Uddin alias Tamim, a resident of Barpeta Road in Assam. Police stated that IMK activities were being coordinated through a secure social media platform. One such group, titled ‘Purva Akash’, was being used as the principal communication and recruitment platform.

Assam Police said that through this platform, individuals based in Assam, West Bengal and Tripura were being radicalised, recruited, financially mobilised and connected with the outfit. This included persons holding Indian passports, individuals who had previously visited Bangladesh, and known former members of proscribed terrorist organisations.

Police officials said it was found that after the change of government in Bangladesh, cadres of JMB, ABT and AQIS were either released or emboldened. This resulted in the revival of their ideological influence and Indian networks, including those operating through IMK-linked platforms.

The IMK, according to police, disseminates extremist propaganda advocating violent jihad and the armed conquest of India through digital platforms. These include dedicated websites and social media platforms operating under the “Ghazwatul Hind” banner. Police further disclosed that radical literature authored by IMK leadership, including ‘Sarbobhoumo Khamatar Malik Allah”’ and ‘Ghazwatul Hind er Sonkhipto Alochona’, is systematically circulated online to indoctrinate cadres and sympathisers.

Explaining the recruitment process, police said Indian members are first identified through online jihadist channels. They are then fed IMK propaganda in the form of books and lectures and monitored in secure social media groups. To formally join IMK, recruits are required to take a ‘bayat’ (pledge of allegiance) to Amir Mahmud Habibullah.

“The procedure requires each recruit to submit personal details and identity proof on a prescribed form, then record and send a video of their oath to an ‘Indian Zimmedar’ (responsible cadre),” police said. The ‘Indian Zimmedar’ then forwards the oath video to the Amir in Bangladesh for verification and acceptance. “Only after this authenticated ceremony are recruits admitted into the fold,” officials added.

Police said this method has resulted in the radicalisation of several youths in Assam, mainly in Barpeta and Chirang districts, as well as in West Bengal.

In addition to online activities, IMK has also been exploiting social and religious gatherings. Police said several clandestine meetings have been held at local mosques since December 2024. At one such meeting held on December 28, 2024, in Barpeta, IMK ideologues, including Nasim Uddin and Manirul Islam, allegedly made statements advocating violent armed struggle in India.

One such statement quoted by the police was, “Atrocities on Muslims in India must be stopped with armed struggle.”

According to officials, each meeting typically involved six to eight local youths, who were indoctrinated and urged to prepare for jihad. Police further said that some IMK cadres and recruits have already visited Bangladesh on valid passports and visas to meet IMK leadership. Many others were being encouraged to travel to Bangladesh, even with their families, for arms training. Police noted that at least two Assam operatives — Nasim Uddin of Barpeta and Siddik Ali of Barpeta — crossed into Meghalaya in April 2025 to rendezvous with Bangladeshi handlers.

Financial investigations revealed that several Indian operatives were using UPI platforms to channel money to Bangladesh. Police said that lakhs of rupees have been systematically remitted from Assam and Tripura to Bangladesh to support extremist training and logistics.

Those involved in collecting and transferring funds, including Mustafizur Rahman, Siddik Ali, Abdur Rahman and others, were found to be complicit in terrorism financing, police said.

Officials also stated that Assam-based individuals associated with IMK travelled to Bangladesh during 2025 on Indian passports and valid entry visas. The objective of these visits, police said, was to undergo training and to further engage with the outfit.

Summing up the threat, Assam Police said that the cumulative effect of IMK’s activities poses a “grave threat” to India’s unity and integrity.

Based on these inputs, coordinated raids were carried out on the intervening night of December 29 and 30, 2025. Teams of the STF and Assam Police conducted operations at multiple locations across Barpeta, Chirang, Baksa and Darrang districts of Assam, as well as in Tripura, to track down IMK operatives.

As a result of these raids, around 10 operatives were arrested. Those arrested include Nasim Uddin alias Tamim, identified as the Assam module in-charge, along with Junab Ali, Afrahim Hussain, Mizanur Rahman, Sultan Mehmud, Md Siddique Ali, Rasidul Alam, Mahibul Khan, Shahruk Hussain, Md Dilbar Razak, and Jagir Miah from West Tripura.

Police said further investigation is underway to identify additional operatives, funding channels and cross-border links associated with the IMK network.