KOLKATA: Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) is attempting to seek revenge of genocide of Rohingyas in Buddhist-dominated Myanmar by targeting Buddhist pilgrimages across India.
This revelation was made by two JMB operatives — suspected to be involved in Bodh Gaya blasts during Dalai Lama's visit on January 19 — nabbed by Kolkata Police Special Task Force (STF) from Murshidabad and Darjeeling districts of West Bengal on Wednesday.
"JMB operatives Paigambar Sheikh (24) and Jamirul Sheikh (31), both residents of Murshidabad district, are suspected to be involved in the January 19 Bodh Gaya blasts. Over 50 kg of explosive ammonium nitrate and one laptop has been recovered,” said STF deputy commissioner of police Murlidhar Sharma.
Interrogation of the two JMB operatives has revealed that after arrests of the top leadership of the terror outfit from different locations along the Indo-Bangladesh border in September 2016, JMB has elected a new leader and is on a recruitment drive in Muslim-majority Murshidabad.
“The two JMB operatives confessed that new JMB chief Salahuddin Ahmed alias Salahuddin Salein and his deputy Jahidul Islam alias Boma Mizan are planning to strike Buddhist pilgrimage circuits in north Bengal and Bihar and have formed at least eight modules, each consisting 10-12 members. Of these modules, five are based in Murshidabad. Salahuddin had even visited Murshidabad seven months ago,” a top STF official said on condition of anonymity.
“Based on the inputs, we raided a house in Dhuliyan in Murshidabad district and have recovered more than 200 kg ammonium nitrate, 50 detonators, timers, sockets and tiffin boxes. We suspect that the bombs exploded in Bodh Gaya last month were manufactured here. However, the owner of the house is on the run,” the STF official added.
STF sources revealed that JMB has developed contacts with little-known Rohingya outfit Aqa Mul Mujahideen (AMM) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) to seek revenge for torture and genocide of Rohingyas in Myanmar.