Kokrajhar: In a major breakthrough, the Assam Police have claimed to have thwarted a major terrorist attack planned by terrorist groups in the state. According to the state police, acting on intelligence, the Special Task Force (STF) arrested two suspects and seized a huge cache of weapons and explosives in Kokrajhar district on Tuesday evening.

A senior police official of the Assam police identified the two arrested suspects as Abdul Zaher Sheikh and Sabbir Mirdha, who were detained as part of a crackdown under Operation Praghat, aimed at targeting radical groups. The arrests were made after the interrogation of eight alleged members of the Bangladesh-based terror group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), who were apprehended last week across Assam, West Bengal, and Kerala. 

Among the arrested were a Bangladeshi national and several individuals linked to the militant group, which has been involved in terrorist activities, including the attacks and murders of atheist bloggers in Bangladesh between 2013 and 2015.

Following the arrests, the police carried out search operations that led to the recovery of huge quantities of arms and explosives. The recovered haul included four handmade rifles, 34 rounds of live ammunition, 24 rounds of blank cartridges, one pair of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and a handmade grenade. The Assam police also recovered several circuit detonators made from agricultural equipment, wires, iron cases, and firecracker explosives.

The police suspect that the radical group had planned to carry out terror activities during the Republic Day celebrations in Assam. 

The law enforcement authorities also revealed that sleeper cells linked to this group have been operating across North Bengal and Assam, and the group had reportedly become more active after the change in government in Bangladesh in August. 

Further investigation into the matter is ongoing.