‘Chicken’s Neck’, also known as the Siliguri Corridor. file
Eight suspected members of terror outfit Ansar-al-Islam Bangladesh, who were arrested recently, were planning to target the ‘chicken’s neck’ connecting West Bengal’s Siliguri with the northeastern states, a top police official said.
“They wanted to create massive instability in the corridor through synchronized attacks and increased instability,” he said.
West Bengal Police have recovered pen drives and documents from two suspected members of a terrorist organization arrested in Murshidabad district.
ADG Supratim Sarkar told reporters on Friday (Dec 21, 2024) that the couple was among a group of eight people arrested by the Bengal, Kerala and Assam police.
Inquiries revealed that they had specific plans to target the ‘Chicken’s Neck’, also known as the Siliguri Corridor – the only link with the seven northeastern states.
Mr. Sarkar said the state police had received a tip-off about a sleeper cell of the outfit, which had been active since August.
“We have recovered 16GB pen drives, some jihadi literature and fake identity cards from two suspects identified as Abbas Ali and Minarul Shaikh. We suspect they are part of a sleeper module aimed at creating instability in sensitive areas in the south and north. Bengal, as well as seven sisters from the northeast. in the states,” Mr. Sarkar said.
“They were setting up bases in Murshidabad and Alipurduar districts with plans to eliminate prominent Hindu leaders in the eastern and northeastern regions and carry out attacks similar to the 2015 hacking of a blogger in Bangladesh,” he added.
Mr. Sarkar also pointed out that Murshidabad has become a transit route for members of banned Bangladeshi organizations such as Ansar-al-Islam.
published – Dec 21, 2024 01:28 pm IST