GUWAHATI: The Special Task Force (STF) Assam, in collaboration with Kokrajhar Police, foiled a potential major terror act by arresting two individuals linked to a Global Terrorist Organisation (GTO) during a raid at Namapara under Kokrajhar Police Station on the night of Tuesday, December 24.
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The arrested individuals were identified as Abdul Zaher Sheikh of Joypur Namapara and Sabbir Mirdha of Ramfalbil Bazar, who was staying in Kachipara Bazar. Both are allegedly associated with the banned extremist groups Ansharullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent (AQIS).
During the operation, which was part of 'Operation Praghat', a large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the hideout of one of the accused. The seized items included four handmade rifles resembling AK-series weapons, 34 rounds of live ammunition, 24 blank cartridges, an un-primed IED, a handmade grenade, detonators crafted from agricultural equipment, and materials used for creating improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
STF Chief Partha Sarathi Mahanta supervised the operation, which prevented a terror act reportedly orchestrated by handlers based in Bangladesh. Investigations are ongoing to uncover further details of the terror network.