India's northeastern states, particularly Assam and Tripura, are on high alert following the release of Jashimuddin Rahmani, the chief of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a terror group linked to al-Qaida.
Rahmani, who was jailed for the 2013 murder of blogger Rajib Haider, was released on parole from Kashimpur High Security Central Jail in Gazipur on August 26.
Rahmani’s release has heightened security concerns in Assam and Tripura as ABT has been actively trying to establish a jihadi network in India with the help of sleeper cells. In May 2023, Assam Police arrested two ABT operatives, Bahar Mia and Rarely Mia, at Guwahati railway station, further underlining the group’s presence in the region.
Sources indicate a worrying partnership between Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and ABT, with the duo planning attacks in India’s northeastern states. In 2022, LeT had attempted to set up a base in Bengal to facilitate these attacks.
Intelligence inputs suggest that 50 to 100 ABT cadres are preparing to infiltrate Tripura, escalating the threat. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma previously highlighted that ABT operatives use highly encrypted communication devices to evade detection.
The ABT, an affiliate of al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), remains a banned outfit in India.
Its growing activities and recent strategic alliances pose a significant security challenge, prompting Indian authorities to tighten surveillance across the northeast.
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