In a significant counter-terrorism operation, Indian security forces arrested 11 individuals across Assam and Tripura for their connections to the Bangladesh-based radical group Imam Mahmuder Kafila (IMK), which aims to destabilise India’s northeast region. The operation, conducted by the Special Task Force (STF) on 29 December 2025, followed intelligence inputs from central agencies and targeted districts including Barpeta, Chirang, Baksa, and Darrang in Assam, as well as West Tripura. The IMK, an offshoot of the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), has been revitalised following political changes in Bangladesh in August 2024, receiving directives from senior leaders of JMB, Ansarullah Bangla Team, and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent to enhance its operations in India. The arrested individuals, who displayed a structured approach to radicalisation, reportedly engaged in financial and operational coordination with their Bangladeshi handlers, raising concerns about cross-border extremism and the vulnerabilities of India’s northeastern borders. This operation underscores the intensified vigilance of Indian security agencies against growing jihadist threats, particularly in light of the region’s porous borders and complex ethnic dynamics.