The West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) foiled a new cross-border terror network on 22nd June which was operating under the name “Shahadat.” The module head Mohammed Habibullah was also arrested by the authorities. The officials have uncovered a connection between the terror module and members of “Ansar Al Islam”, an Al-Qaeda affiliated group that is outlawed in Bangladesh.
According to official, the Task Force has taken Mohammed Habibullah, the module’s leader (Ameer), into custody from his Paschim Bardhaman home. Police sources mentioned that he is a second-year student pursuing computer science.
Watch: The West Bengal Special Task Force arrested Mohammad Habibullah in West Burdwan's Kanksa area, suspecting his affiliation with the militant group Shahadat, which is linked to Ansar-al-Islam and potentially Al-Qaeda. Shahadat reportedly uses a secret messaging platform… pic.twitter.com/9SgGWTpboy
— IANS (@ians_india) June 23, 2024
According to reports, the terrorist, a young man named Mohammed Hasibul Sheikh was nabbed from Mirpara in the Kanksha police station area of the West Burdwan district. A special police squad from West Bengal stormed a home in Mirpara, within the jurisdiction of the Kanksha police station under the Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate, at around three o’clock and captured him.
The arrested individual was questioned by senior officers from the Asansol Durgapur Police and Special Task Force at the Kanksha police station after his arrest. He will reportedly be brought to Kolkata afterwards. The major development transpired after a specific tip following which the personnel approached his residence and caught him.
The group’s members primarily used the coded messaging application “BiP” to communicate. According to the SIT authorities, they operate covertly with the intention of doing activities that would undermine the integrity and sovereignty of both India and Bangladesh. A case has been filed in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
