Burdwan blast: NIA to focus on Assam & Meghalaya links
[Read: JMB terrorists planned to assassinate Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina?]
As
per
the
preliminary
investigation
and
the
questioning
of
the
six
youth
who
were
arrested
two
days
ago,
it
was
learnt
that
Assam
was
a
back
module
which
was
used
as
a
safe
hide
out
for
infiltrators
before
launching
them
into
West
Bengal
to
be
part
of
the
main
stream
module.
Assam
police
to
share
information
The Assam police will share information with the NIA regarding the role of some NGOs who had allegedly helped the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) set up modules in Assam as well. At least eight NGOs are under the scanner which acted as frontal organisation to set up cells in Assam.
The JMB used a two-pronged strategy for this operation. They infiltrated their militants numbering nearly 180 since the past four years and divided them into batches.
Main modules based in West Bengal
The main modules were based in West Bengal while the hideouts were mainly set in Barapeta, NIA sources also claimed. Like in the case of West Bengal some local leaders were seen to be helping this group. The BJP had accused the AIUDF of aiding the militants but this claim was denied.
What the 6 arrested youth said
Moreover, the arrests of six youth from Assam have given the agencies more to work on. They have told their investigators that they were kept on standby. They said that they were trained by the JMB for the same operation.
They
claimed
that
they
had
first
infiltrated
into
West
Bengal
's
Madhyamgram
where
they
obtained
documents.
They
were
then
sent
to
Assam
where
they
told
to
be
on
standby.
What
the
Assam
module
was
asked
to
do
is
to
shield
operatives.
NIA
officials
beleive
that
several
JMB
members
could
have
first
fled
to
Assam
taken
cover
and
then
moved
to
Bangladesh
after
this
entire
episode
broke
out.
NGOs
under
the
scanner
The NIA will also probe the local links in Assam. There are a few NGOs run by local politicians which are under the scanner. Some separatist groups, too, are being investigated and have been accused of helping infiltrators since several years.
Assam militant groups have been aiding groups from Bangladesh especially the Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami for several years. It was with this support that the HUJI-B managed to set up its module in Hyderabad which was headed by Shahid Bilal.
Bengal & Assam had long links, says IB official
Terror in West Bengal and Assam are interconnected for several years now, sayid an Intelligence Bureau official. Similar groups such as the JMB and the HUJI-B which function out of Bangladesh have used both Assam and West Bengal to spread their operation.
Recently, even the chief minister of Assam had said there are credible intelligence inputs regarding the Al-Qaeda trying to set up a base in Assam. The Al-Qaeda is a partner to both the HUJI-B and the JMB.
Oneindia News
Read in Hindi: आतंकवादियों ने असम-मेघालय तक बिछाया जाल