Assam Police's Special Task Force (STF) has arrested 11 individuals across Assam and Tripura for their alleged connections to Imam Mahmuder Kafila (IMK), a radical offshoot of the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

The coordinated operation took place on the night of 29 December 2025, targeting suspects in Assam's Baksa, Barpeta, Chirang, and Darrang districts, as well as West Tripura district in Tripura. Guwahati Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta, who heads the STF, confirmed the arrests, crediting inputs from central agencies and local police support.

These jihadist elements operated under direct instructions from Bangladesh-based handlers, with the primary objective of destabilising India's northeast region. Mr Mahanta highlighted this intent during a press briefing in Guwahati on 30 December 2025.

The arrests stemmed from meticulous analysis of intelligence on IMK's activities within India, underscoring the group's growing threat amid regional geopolitical shifts.

IMK traces its origins to 2018, founded by Jewel Mahmud, alias Imam Mahmud Habibullah, a former JMB operative. The outfit gained renewed momentum following the political upheaval in Bangladesh in August 2024, with assistance from leaders of Ansarullah Bangla Team and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent. This support enabled IMK to bolster its Indian operations, particularly after the release of many radical leaders from Bangladeshi prisons post the ouster of Sheikh Hasina's government.

Recruitment and radicalisation efforts rely heavily on encrypted social media platforms, with 'Purva Akash' serving as the key channel for targeting individuals in Assam, Tripura, and West Bengal.

These platforms facilitate propaganda dissemination, financial transfers, and ideological indoctrination. Nasim Uddin, based in Barpeta Road town, leads the Assam cell of IMK, orchestrating much of the local network.

The group's methodology involves a structured radicalisation process, where potential recruits receive propaganda materials and swear 'bayat'—a pledge of allegiance—to Habibullah via audio-visual recordings. These oaths are sent for verification and approval, ensuring loyalty.

IMK also infiltrates social and religious gatherings to spread its message, as evidenced by a meeting in Barpeta on 28 December 2024, where ideologues like Nasim Uddin promoted violent armed jihad in India.

Further intelligence reveals that some Indian recruits travelled to Bangladesh on valid passports and visas for specialised training, including bomb-making. Cross-border coordination occurs through meetings in Meghalaya between Assam-based members and Bangladeshi handlers. Financial linkages have been traced via UPI transactions and hawala networks, funding operations across borders.

Police have invoked sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, alongside provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, in the registered case against the 11 detainees. This action reflects heightened vigilance against cross-border extremism, especially given Bangladesh's recent instability. The northeast's porous borders and ethnic dynamics make it a fertile ground for such groups, prompting sustained counter-terrorism measures.

The operation exposes vulnerabilities in digital encryption and travel documentation exploited by IMK, raising questions about monitoring post-2024 Bangladesh developments. Indian security agencies continue to track IMK's expansion, with potential for more arrests as financial trails and communications yield further leads.

Agencies