4 held in Assam for suspected links with Bangladesh's terror outfit

Guwahati, Oct 18: Four people were arrested in Assam for their alleged links with terror outfits, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

He said that two of them, "associated with Bangladesh-based terror outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team", were nabbed in Tamulpur district, and the other two in Nalbari.

"We're determined to root out jihadi elements from Assam. @TamulpurPolice has done a commendable job in nabbing 2 persons Sadeq Ali & Jakibul Ali who lured youth to join B'desh-based terror outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team affiliated to al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)," he tweeted on Monday.

Sarma said the arrest of Sadeq Ali is a "significant achievement" as he had been "radicalising youth" for the past two years.

Sadeq was also linked to Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), he said.

The chief minister further said that the Ghagrapar Police of Nalbari district has arrested two more persons Habel Ali and Abu Raihan in a similar case.

Sarma had said in the assembly in September that 40 "jihadis" have been arrested in the state this year. Since January this year, five modules with alleged links to Bangladesh's proscribed Ansarul Islam have been busted.

Four madrasas have also been demolished three by respective district administration "for not adhering to building norms" and the fourth was razed to the ground allegedly by local people.