STF Seeks Extended Custody of 11 Arrested Jihadis as Probe Deepens

The three-day police remand of the 11 suspected jihadis arrested by the Assam Special Task Force (STF) has come to an end, and all the accused will be produced before the court again today. The STF is expected to seek an extension of its custody as investigations into the terror module intensify.

According to sources, apart from the STF, the Special Branch (SB) of Assam Police and central intelligence agencies have also been questioning the accused. During interrogation, the arrested men allegedly made crucial disclosures about plans to destabilise the North East with support from across the Bangladesh border.

Investigators claim the accused admitted that a Bangladesh-based extremist outfit had been working to spread unrest in Assam and other parts of the region. They also reportedly revealed that several cadres of the Bangladesh-based IMK organisation are active in different parts of the country.

The arrests followed a major intelligence-led operation conducted on the intervening night of November 29 and 30, 2025. Teams of the Assam STF and Assam Police carried out simultaneous raids across Barpeta, Chirang, Baksa and Darrang districts of Assam, as well as in parts of Tripura.

During the operation, 11 accused were arrested, including Nasim Uddin alias Tamim, who is believed to be the chief of the Assam module. Others arrested include operatives from both Assam and Tripura.

Security agencies later revealed that the network is linked to Imam Mahmuder Kafila (IMK), a Bangladesh-based extremist group with ideological roots in the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The group is believed to have been formed in 2018 and has been attempting to expand its influence in India in recent years.

Officials said Assam had emerged as a key operational zone for the group following renewed efforts by Bangladesh-based extremists to reactivate their India modules. Intelligence agencies are now probing financial transactions, cross-border links and sleeper cells that may still be active.

Also Read: Assam STF Busts Bangladesh Linked Jihadi Module, 11 Arrested in Multi-State Raids