In a major development, the Madhya Pradesh police on Sunday arrested four terror suspects from two areas in state capital Bhopal. During a special operation carried by the MP Police, officials arrested four terrorists belonging to banned terror outfit Jamat-e-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), said state home minister Narottam Mishra. They were identified as Fazhar Ali, Md Aqueel, Zahooruddin and Fazhar Zainul, all natives of Bangladesh, MP police said in a communique.

Sources claimed that two of the operatives were arrested in a surprise operation early in the day from the Aishbagh area while two others were nabbed on their inputs from the Karond area later.

MP ATS has submitted a report to DGP Madhya Pradesh Sudhir Saxena after the arrest. The DGP had convened a high level meeting on the issue in the presence of senior officers. Around 50 Jawans of police and security agencies were involved in the operation.

Incriminating material including Jihadi literature, electronic gadgets and suspicious documents were recovered from their possession said Mishra adding more details will be shared as they reveal substantial information during interrogation.

The operatives were preparing a remote-based sleeper cell which was to channelize anti-national activities. The literature and other articled found in possession of the operatives suggested that they are active members of Jamat-e-Mujahideen Bangladesh, said the statement.

Operatives from the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh were involved in the Burdwan blasts, which killed two persons in 2014 and the Bodbgaya blasts. The outfit was banned by the Centre in 2019 under the anti-terror law UAPA. Members of the outfit were preparing to establish a base, sleeper cells and aimed to plan major attacks, officials said.

Nayaab Jehan, owner of the house in the Aishbagh area where these operatives were hiding told the media that they heard a noise at around 3.30 am and saw a crowd and police. A computer mechanic had got the house rented for “Ahmed" claiming he was studying a religious course, she said.

“I had asked them to offer an Aadhaar card but Ahmed kept dodging it and later had brought another boy to live with him," said Jehan adding they used to come out of the house for buying vegetables and ration only. The youths had told the landlord they would vacate the house in 15 days. Locals claimed that they were living in the area for one year and a half.