India steps up security on Sylhet-Northeast India border

India's Border Security Force (BSF) has intensified its security on Sylhet's border with Northeast India following 'Operation Twilight.'

An official of BSF's Assam-Meghalaya Command based in Shillong told bdnews24.com that they suspect some militants may try to flee into India because of the ongoing counter-terror operations in Sylhet.

“[Militants] generally try to escape into India when they come under pressure in Bangladesh. That is the usual trend, so we need to monitor all cross-border movements in the Assam-Meghalaya sector," the BSF official said.

But he was not willing to be named as he does not have formal authority to brief the media.

Assam police intelligence chief Pallabh Bhattacharyya also lobbied for a stricter vigilance, both on the border and in his state.

Over the last six months, Assam police have arrested more than 70 militants and their associates from Bangladesh, he said.

"Not only should we maintain our vigil on the border, but we need to closely monitor activities in some known pockets of illegal migrants from Bangladesh, where militants often take shelter," Bhattacharyya said.

Indian security forces have also been alerted to the movement of one arms smuggler, Primat Khasia, said be active on the Dawki-Tamabil border region.

Khasia is said to be running a cartel that supplies arms to both ethnic rebel groups like ULFA and jihadi groups like Neo-JMB.

Indian intelligence officials also suggest that Bangladeshi agencies may do well to check on the hidden arms caches of groups like ULFA and find out if some of those weapons are making their way to the jihadi groups like Neo-JMB.