Crime
2 more terror suspects linked to jihadi groups arrested in Assam
Two more suspected cadres of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an affiliate of the Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) terror group, were arrested in Assam on Monday, officials said.
Police officials said that Musadik Hussain was arrested in Morigaon and Ikramul Islam, was arrested from neighbouring Nagaon.
The duo were absconding for over a month and they were associated with cleric Mufti Mustafa, who had been earlier arrested.
Earlier, one madrasa was demolished in Morigaon after suspected terror links with the AQIS backed ABT, a Bangladesh-based terror outfit.
Four private madrasas in Assam have been demolished in three districts in the past one month over the alleged links with the terror outfits and attempts to set up “jihadi sleeper cells” in the northeastern state.
Since April this year, Assam Police have arrested around 40 terror suspects in connection to AQIS-backed modules and a strict vigil is being maintained, particularly in the minority-dominated areas of western and central Assam.
Many of the detainees are imams at mosques or teachers at private madrasas.
Last week, the villagers of Pakhiura Char in Goalpara district voluntarily demolished a private madrasa that had employed two suspected Bangladeshi nationals linked to jihadi terror outfits
The Assam government had handed over some of the cases of “jihadi terror modules” to the NIA after preliminary investigation.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also holds the Home portfolio, said that Assam has become a hotbed of “jihadi activities” and also announced that religious teachers at mosques and madrasas in Assam will be required to register themselves on a government portal if they come from outside the state.
Following the arrest of many jihadi cadres, the northeastern states which share a border with Bangladesh have stepped up the vigilance.
Police and intelligence officials in Agartala and Shillong separately said the strict surveillance over the jihadi activities have further intensified and intelligence inputs between the various security agencies being shared for taking further course of action.
Meghalaya Director-General of Police Lajja Ram Bishnoi said in Shillong that after getting the inputs of jihadi activities in Assam, directions have been given to all the police stations and outposts particularly in those areas having borders with Bangladesh to keep a close watch on the bordering villages.
“Our intelligence officials and police personnel are alert over the jihadi activities,” the police officer told the media.
In Agartala, a senior police officer said that Border Security Force (BSF) troopers and the people of the bordering areas have been alerted to keep a close watch in their respective areas.
The three cadres, who were recently arrested in Tripura for their links with the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), have been subsequently taken to Assam as part of the investigation against the jihadi group.
Intelligence officials found links between these three persons with the four arrested in Bhopal in April for their affiliation to the JMB.
A senior Tripura police official on Monday said that issues related to illegal immigration of Bangladeshi national in Tripura were reviewed at a high level meeting of the top police officials.
“It has been decided that important cases relating to the illegal entry of Bangladeshi nationals into Tripura would be transferred to a Special Investigation Team formed at Tripura Police Crime Branch.This is to enable and ensure concentrated, focused and end to end investigation in coordination with other security agencies working in Tripura and at the Central level to identify organised networks involved in such anti-national activities,” the official told IANS.
He said that in the recent past a large number of illegal Bangladesh nationals were arrested and specific cases were registered with various police stations of Tripura.
So far, six important cases have been transferred for investigation to the SIT of Crime Branch, the official said.
Crime
Three Khalistani terrorists who bombed Punjab Police posts killed in encounter in UP
Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 23: Three criminals accused of hurling a grenade at police posts in Punjab’s Gurdaspur were killed in an encounter with police in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit early Monday morning, a senior police officer said.
Punjab Police DGP Gaurav Yadav, while sharing details on social media platform X, stated, “In a major breakthrough against a Pak-sponsored Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) terror module, a joint operation by UP Police and Punjab Police led to an encounter with three module members who fired at the police party. This terror module is involved in grenade attacks at police establishments in border areas of Punjab.”
He said that the three suspects were involved in the grenade attack on a police post in Gurdaspur.
Pilibhit Superintendent of Police (SP) Avinash Pandey reported that the gunfight occurred in the Puranpur police station area between the suspected Khalistani terrorists and a joint team of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh Police.
The injured suspects, identified as Gurvinder Singh, Virendra Singh, and Jasanpreet Singh, sustained injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment.
Authorities recovered two AK-series rifles, two Glock pistols, and a large quantity of ammunition from the scene.
“Early this morning, a team from Punjab Police informed Puranpur police station that suspects in a grenade attack on a police post by alleged Khalistani terrorists might be hiding in the area,” SP Pandey said.
Upon receiving this information, police teams immediately launched a blockade and searched the area. They later received a tip-off about three suspicious young men on a motorcycle, riding dangerously and carrying potentially harmful items, heading toward Pilibhit.
“Both Punjab Police and Puranpur police station staff chased the suspects. Meanwhile, Gajrola and Madhav Thanda police stations were alerted about possible escape routes. At a canal track near an under-construction bridge, the suspects opened fire when challenged by the police. In the retaliatory firing, all three were injured and subsequently sent to CSC Puranpur for treatment,” Pandey said.
However, they later succumbed to the injuries.
Recently, multiple explosions targeted police posts in Gurdaspur. On Thursday, a grenade was hurled at the closed Bakshiwal police post.
A day later, another explosion occurred at the closed Wadala Bangar police post, which had also recently shut down due to staff shortages.
Residents in nearby areas reported being shaken by the blasts. At Wadala Bangar, frightened locals emerged from their homes at night only to discover the sound originated from the police station. Following the explosion, police vehicles patrolled the area throughout the night, with sirens blaring.
Crime
At least 18 killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza
Gaza, Dec 21: At least 18 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on the central and northern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian sources.
Local sources and eyewitnesses reported that Israeli warplanes targeted an apartment in the multi-story “Yaffa” tower in the al-Nuseirat camp, located in central Gaza.
A statement from Al-Awda Hospital in the camp confirmed that eight people were killed and 14 others injured, some seriously, in the attack.
In northern Gaza, Israeli shelling struck a house belonging to the “Khilla” family in Jabalia Al-Balad, killing 10 people and injuring several others, according to the Gaza Strip’s Civil Defence.
The Israeli army has not commented on these incidents.
Also on Friday, the military wing of Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades, announced that one of its fighters had carried out a suicide attack targeting an Israeli force of six soldiers in Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza.
The Israeli army has not issued a comment on this incident.
Earlier on Thursday at least 16 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombings in northern Gaza, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.
At least 10 people were killed on Wednesday night and some others injured when the Israeli aircraft bombed the house of the Al-Najjar family in the town of Jabalia, WAFA said.
Six more people were killed due to Israeli bombing on the house of the Al-Zaytouniya family near the Al-Tabi’in School in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, east of Gaza City, it added.
The Israeli army has not commented on these incidents.
Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza in retaliation for the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault on southern Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages taken.
As of Friday, the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza has risen to 45,206, according to Gaza-based health authorities.
Crime
Maharashtra: Govt Employee Accused Of Attacking Marathi-Speaking Family In Kalyan Surrenders Before Cops
The Maharashtra government employee accused of attacking a Marathi-speaking family at Kalyan in Thane district surrendered before police on Friday, a senior officer said.
Akhilesh Shukla (48), an employee of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), his wife Geeta (45) and others have been named in an FIR related to the alleged attack on the family, their neighbour, on December 18 after an argument.
Akhilesh Shukla surrendered before the Khadakpada police, senior inspector Aamarnath Waghmode said.
“We will trace the other accused,” said the police.
Meanwhile, before surrendering, Shukla posted a video on social media in which he claimed his wife was beaten up by family members of the victims.
The police have registered a case against Shukla and his wife Geeta (45) under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 74 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), 189 (2) (3) and (5) (unlawful assembly) and others.
According to police, the attack took place around 8.45 pm on December 18, and the accused as well as the victims live on the same floor of a building in Kalyan.
As per the FIR, the victim saw Shukla quarrelling with one of their neighbours over lighting of an incense stick. The victim asked Shukla to maintain peace and not to abuse and insult the entire Marathi-speaking community.
The accused couple got angry on hearing this and beat up the victim and his wife with the help of eight to ten others. They attacked the male victim using some sharp weapon, iron rod, pipes and wooden sticks, and inflicted wounds on his arms, legs and face. The accused also molested his wife and threatened the couple, it added.
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