Intelligence agencies have noted that the Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami (HuJI) and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, Bangladesh (JMB), top terror groups in Bangladesh, are increasingly utilizing proxies for their activities in India. These groups are also exploring the establishment of local outfits within India to provide Bangladesh with plausible deniability. Similar to the strategies of Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad in India, the HuJI and JMB are employing proxies like The Resistence Front, People’s Anti-Fascist Front, and Kashmir Tigers.
The ISI and Jamaat-e-Islami have significantly supported these terror groups, releasing many cadres without explanation after Sheikh Hasina’s removal. While the immediate threat is in bordering states, officials warn of the groups’ capability to operate in both North and South India. Intelligence agencies have observed a new trend where HuJI and JMB modules in India operate under various aliases to evade security agencies.
Recent operations by Assam and Tripura police uncovered a JMB proxy module named Imam Mahamude Kafila (IMK), indicating the reactivation of dormant groups for attacks in India. Additionally, the HuJI is activating several proxies in India ahead of the West Bengal elections, including Harkat-ul-Ansar and Asif Reza Commando Force. These proxies, comprising Indians and illegal migrants from Bangladesh, are being closely monitored by agencies for potential recruitment into terror groups.
The use of multiple proxies by these terror groups, as suggested by the ISI, aims to prevent tracing attacks back to Bangladesh. This tactic, commonly employed by Pakistani-based groups, poses a challenge to agencies in promptly connecting proxies to the actual terror organizations. The urgency displayed in implementing these tactics indicates a looming threat in India, prompting heightened vigilance, especially in states bordering Bangladesh.
