Neo-JMB's Southern Push: IS-Backed Network Targets South India, Bengal

The outfit referred to as Neo-JMB is operating under a local handler who goes by the name Salauddin Salehin, and is believed to be hiding in West Bengal, officials say.

The official said that as per intelligence reports, Salehin does not remain stationary in West Bengal, and has travelled to various parts of the country to meet Bangla-speaking labourers.

The Neo-JMB, which operates from Bangladesh, is under the control of the Islamic State Bengal Province (ISBP). Recently, the ISBP appointed Sheikh Al Amin as the Dhaka Commander, and this signalled a major shift in operations.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that the creation of the Neo-JMB under the Islamic State is a clear shift. The JMB had always been under the command of Al Qaeda since 2000, but after 2015, it moved closer to the Islamic State.

The official said that Amin decided to expand operations in India. While it was always clear that the target was always West Bengal and the northeastern states, the Neo-JMB has been instructed to make inroads into South India.

The illegal immigrants from Bangladesh have, over the years, been relocated to the South Indian states. These outfits took advantage of the fact that the South Indian states were facing a labour crisis both in terms of manpower and high costs. These workers who have settled in large numbers in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala provided the plantation owners both with lower costs and high manpower.

The blending in for these Bangladeshi illegal immigrants was easy, as there are many Bengali colonies in these states. Owing to the similarities in the dialect, the Bangladeshis were able to mix easily with the Bengali workers in the southern states. Now that there are a large number of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, the ISBP and Neo-JMB decided to take advantage of the same.

Another official said that during the visit by Salehin to the South Indian states, he met with over 100 illegal immigrants. He would lure them with money to carry out activities for the Neo-JMB. Threats to expose their identities and have them sent back to Bangladesh were also another tactic that he used during his meetings with these persons, the officials said.

Counterterrorism experts say that the combination of the ISBP and Neo-JMB is a lethal one. This was the same combination that carried out the Holey Artisan Bakery attack in Dhaka in 2016 -- one of the most lethal attacks in the history of Bangladesh.

While these outfits kept a low profile for some time after the 2016 attack, over the last couple of years, the ISI has been helping them bounce back. The Pakistani spy agency has been funding activities and even roped in the Lashkar-e-Taiba to impart training.

Currently, the focus of these groups is to carry out attacks in various parts of India. Recently, an explosion was reported at a madrasa at Keraniganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. It was first believed to be caused by an accidental detonation of Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP). The TATP is highly sensitive to heat and friction and has been used by the Islamic State in suicide blasts.

Further, it was found that Amin, the Dhaka Regional Commander, had allegedly moved 85 improvised explosive devices to various safe houses across Bangladesh.

Officials say that attempts would be made to transport the explosives into India. This explains the sudden increase in activity by the Neo-JMB in West Bengal and the southern states.

Elections are being held this year in Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, and the intention is to carry out attacks during that period. Last week, 8 people from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal were arrested. The preliminary investigations revealed that these persons, who included illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, were planning to carry out attacks in New Delhi and other states.

Their primary targets were temples, so that communal harmony was disturbed. They had also set in motion a plan to target the Red Fort in Delhi, the probe found.

Officials say that they are confident that the Indian and Bangladeshi governments would work closely to shut down the activities of these groups, which pose a danger to both countries equally. The newly elected Prime Minister, Tarrique Rahman, has made it clear that he would follow a Bangladesh-first policy. He also signalled that he is ready to work with India and other countries to ensure property and peace.

- IANS