Five people have been arrested in Assam for alleged links with a jihadi group based out of Bangladesh, which is believed to be affiliated to the al-Qaeda in Indian Sub continent (AQIS). Director General of police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said that the five accused were arrested from Assam's Barpeta district on Saturday.

Based on an intelligence report shared by the Special Branch of the state police, the Barpeta police apprehended the five persons from areas under the Howly, Barpeta and Kalgachia Police Stations area, DGP Mahanta said.

The police said that during preliminary enquiry, it was found that one of the arrested accused, Saiful Islam alias Harun Rashid, is a citizen of Bangladesh who had entered India illegally and was working as a teacher of Dhakaliapara Masjid.

Saiful Islam alias Harun Rashid alias Mohammad Suman had successfully indoctrinated and motivated four others to join the module of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) with a view to develop Barpeta district as a base for Jehadi work and unlawful activities of al-Qaida and its related organization, police said.

"The members of the group advocate that people should sacrifice themselves for Islam and Koran and not for their country or their society. They, however, have not succeeded much in Assam as Muslims living in the state do not respond to or encourage such ideas or messages,” DGP Mahant said.

He added, "In fact, it has been with the help and cooperation of the Muslims in the state that they could be apprehended and I thank them for this. I also urge people of all faiths to help in keeping the state safe from such elements."

The police recovered incriminating documents and several electronic devices including mobile, laptop, pen drives etc from their possession.

The four others arrested are Khairul Islam, Badshah Suleiman Khan, Naushad Ali and Taimur Rahman Khan.