Major anti-terror raid: NIA, Assam STF arrest three with JeM links in Goalpara

Goalpara, Dec 12: In a major anti-terror joint operation, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Assam Police Special Task Force (STF) conducted extensive raids in Goalpara on Thursday, targeting areas including Tukura, Barpahar, and Govindpur.

The raids, part of a broader operation against militant networks with alleged links to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), led to the arrest of three individuals, identified as Sahanur Alam, Abu Taleb and Zaynal Avedin.

Reportedly, Zaynal Avedin is the imam of Majid at Milanpara in Tukde, Abu Talep hails from Bor Hills of Goalpara and Sahanur Islam has a computer shop in Govindpur.

The arrests aligns with a larger investigation by the NIA, which is probing radicalisation and recruitment efforts by JeM across India.

The NIA had recently raided 19 locations across India, including sites in Assam, as part of its effort to dismantle terror networks. These investigations focus on modules working to radicalise youth and establish extremist ideologies in the region.

The current NIA operations in Goalpara come amidst heightened scrutiny following intelligence inputs about sleeper cells operating in the Northeast. Authorities have confirmed that operations are ongoing in various parts of the country including Anantnag, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, among others, to root out these networks and prevent further recruitment.

Of late, Assam has witnessed several anti-terror raids as authorities work to dismantle extremist networks operating in the region. One significant operation occurred in October 2024, when a joint team of the NIA and local police arrested 9 JeM operatives in Assam's Goalpara district.

The suspects were allegedly involved in radicalising youth and preparing the groundwork for terrorist activities. Similar raids in the past have also uncovered connections to terror financing and efforts to recruit individuals for extremist groups. Last month, the NIA also conducted simultaneous raids in Nagaon in connection with Al-Qaida's conspiracy to destabilise India. 

This is a developing story and further investigations are on.