13 ISI agents arrested in Asom

Guwahati, Jun 22 (UNI) In a major breakthrough, the Army today arrested 13 suspected ISI agents, four of whom were Hindus, in North Cachar district of Asom.

Defence sources said acting on specific intelligence inputs, the Army arrested the agents - most of whom hailed from Rajasthan - from different parts of the Haflong, the district headquarters.

The accused, identified as Lakshmi Narayan Sarma (Rajasthan), Md Islam (Rajasthan), Md Isan Sheikh (Rajasthan), Md Rekibuddin (Rajasthan), Abdul Khaleq (Karimganj, Asom), Mahabir Sarma (Rajasthan), Bajrang Sheikh (Rajasthan), Zakir Hussain (Karimganj), Abdul Salam (Karimganj), Naresh Sarma (Karimganj), Meijul Lashkar (Karimganj), Abdul Talukdar (Karimganj) and Surya Tantubau (Cachar, Asom), had been staying separately in rented houses.

Phones and incriminating documents seized from their possession suggest that they have been maintaining links with fundamentalist elements in UAE, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

No arms or ammunition were recovered from their possession.

The Army suspected the agents intended to establish links with the local militant outfits during their stay in the secluded hill district.

The accused had been handed over to Haflong police station, and investigation was on to unearth their credentials.

The agents, who had come to the state three months back, had been working in shops, hotels, electronic outlets and as tailors.

Stating that the arrests have pointed to the growing network of fundamentalist elements in the state, defence sources hinted that the revelations of the accused could lead to more arrests.

UNI