Dozens of Islamic terrorists go missing from radar

Guwahati: The ministry of home affairs is worried about the whereabouts of at least a dozen of operatives of Islamic terrorist organizations who are missing from the radar of the security forces in Assam.

Informing that since 1998 more than 100 operatives of Islamic terrorist groups—Harkat-Ul-Mujahideen (HUM) and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh have either been arrested or surrendered, security sources said that there were 25 HUM operatives who were trained in Pakistan but many of them who surrendered before the security forces, have now gone missing.

Pointing out that one of them was Master Faqruddin who has also gone missing, security sources said that intelligence agencies had some input about him being killed in Afghanistan while fighting against the British army but it is yet to be confirmed. Another HUM operative Nurul Ali who was involved in a violent attack in New Delhi was living in Assam after his release from the jail, security sources said adding that security forces have no input on his whereabouts now.

Informing that a Harkat-Ul-Mujahideen operative who was involved in Bodh Gaya bomb blast case has also gone missing from the radar of the security forces, security sources said that he also hails from Assam. Informing that home ministry has advised the states to form a dedicated cell of security forces to probe the cases related to Islamic terrorist groups, security sources said that in the wake of ongoing process of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC), threat of Jehadi element was looming large on Assam. Pointing out that many states have already formed the special cell in the state police force to keep watch on activities of islamic terrorist groups, security sources said that Assam has also been asked to form the separate cell.

Referring that after 2012 communal riot, some radical forces had started the activities of Harkat-Ul-Mujahideen by exploiting the sentiment of the people in the state, security sources said that of late the activities of Hizbul Mujahideen came to notice in the backdrop of ongoing exercise to update the NRC.

Asserting that it was matter of concern for the security forces that over a dozen Pakistan trained operatives of Islamic terrorist groups, who were arrested or surrendered due to social and family pressure, have also gone missing from the radar of security forces, security sources said that it was highly challenging for the security forces to find them out as many of them are said to have been working in the Middle-East countries but family members do not have any information about their exact location.