GUWAHATI, Oct 28 � Different jehadi groups have been using Assam as a corridor to enter India from their bases in Bangladesh for some time by taking advantage of the porous international border and that is why they have refrained from indulging in any kind of violence in the State.
Highly placed sources told The Assam Tribune that according to inputs available with the security agencies, elements of jehadi groups like Lasker-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Harkat �ul-Mujaheedin (HUM) etc., have used Assam as a corridor to enter India in the past. Of course, the elements of such groups had used the Bangladesh-West Bengal corridor more frequently, but the Assam-Bangladesh border was also used a number of times, sources added. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had alerted the State police about such developments at different security level meetings.
Sources said investigations of terror attacks in different parts of the country proved that those involved managed to sneak into India from their bases in Bangladesh. However, it is believed that such outfits refrained from indulging in any act of violence in Assam because they did not want to disturb their safe corridor.
Security sources pointed out that following the ethnic riots in the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) in 2012, Assam was very often mentioned by leaders of the well-known jehadi groups in their speeches. Videos of a number of such speeches are available with the Indian security agencies. However, there has been no report of movement and activities of the Indian Mujaheedin (IM) in this part of the country.
Sources admitted that the accidental blast in Burdwan in West Bengal was a blessing in disguise as the incident exposed the activities of the Jamaat-ul-Mujaheedin, Bangladesh (JMB) in the country. Till the blast, the activities of the JMB were not known to the security agencies, although there were reports that the outfit was trying to set up its West Bengal wing for a long time. The investigation into the blast led to the recovery of more than 200 bombs and exposed the links of the outfit in Assam. It was also clear that a number of persons from Assam were trained by the JMB to make improvised explosive devices. Though six persons have been arrested in this connection in Assam, the kingpins are still at large and it is still not known how many persons from the State were trained by the JMB.
