JMB prepared 'sleeper cell' for Assam, says Minister

Guwahati, Dec 15: The Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) has trained and prepared about 20 'sleeper cell' members, of which 10 are still at large, for subversive activities in Assam, the state Assembly was informed today.

High-ranking leaders of JMB based in West Bengal have imparted training to some people of Assam and asked them to be prepared as "sleeper cell" for future, Environment and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain said in a written reply to a query by AGP MLA Phani Bhusan Choudhury.

"As per information collected, around 10 members of this module are still active and absconding," the minister said.

Assam police has so far arrested 10 such persons, including a woman, from different places in Barpeta and Nalbari districts, and operations are on to nab the remaining cadres, he said.

He, however, said this module had not carried any subversive activities in Assam.

Hussain also said a total of three Islamic fundamentalist groups were active in Assam with a total cadre strength of around 200. Besides JMB, the other two organisations are Muslim United Liberation Tiger of Assam (MULTA) and Harkat-ul-Muzahedeen (HuM).

While MULTA has a strength of 140 cadres, HuM is at present operating with 40 members, he said. In another question by BJP MLA Ranjit Kumar Das, Hussain said five more Islamic fundamentalist groups were present in Assam, but they are now inactive.

"Since 1995 to December 10, 2014, police has arrested 626 cadres of all the eight Islamic fundamentalist groups," the minister said.

PTI