2 Bangladesh-Origin US Nationals Deported From Mizoram Over Alleged Links With CHT Insurgents: Sources
Aizawl/New Delhi:
Two Bangladesh-origin US nationals were arrested in Mizoram's Lengpui airport on Saturday and deported from the state capital Aizawl after it was learnt that they planned to meet militants of the KNA/F, top sources in the northeast state told NDTV.
Intelligence reports indicated four US nationals would be coming to Aizawl using tourist visas on May 2, sources said.
While two of them were identified as Chekun and Saron, the names of the other two are not known, sources said.
After reaching Aizawl, they planned to meet KNA/F leaders including Nathan Lawncheo Bawm, sources said.
Mr Bawm, whose whereabouts are unknown, is the founder of the Kuki-Chin National Front and its armed wing, the Kuki-Chin National Army, active in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).
From Aizawl, the four planned to move to Lawangtlai district and visit Bawm community refugee camps in the border areas, sources said.
At least two Bangladesh-origin US nationals had played a key role in raising the Kuki-Chin National Front in CHT during its nascent stage, sources said.
Since they continue to support subversive activities in the border areas, the authorities received information to take appropriate and timely action on the matter, sources said.
The Kuki-Chin National Front has been allegedly using acronyms such as 'KNA' to confuse people; they have started using KNF/A in recent times, sources said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Israel Says It Foiled Iran's '3-Point Plan', Gives Tehran A History Lesson
New Delhi: Iran has no option but to give up their quest to acquire a nuclear weapon and come to the table with clean hands to pursue a peaceful and responsible future, said Israel's Ambassador Reuven Azar, cautioning Tehran that failing to do so will lead to a catastrophic outcome for the Islamic country. Urging Iran to learn from the history books, Mr Azar said, "Saddam Hussein tried to acquire nuclear weapons. The Assad regime tried to acquire nuclear weapons. Gaddafi also attempted to do the same," but the outcome remained the same. 'RADICAL REGIME ACTING IN CLANDESTINE WAY' Adding that the situation is worse in Iran's case, he said, "This time it (the attempt to acquire nukes) is coming from a radical regime that has time-and-again declared that they want to annihilate the State of Israel... that they want to remove the so-called 'tumours cancer' that they want to get rid of the 'small Satan' Israel in order to fight the 'big Satan', United States. So, when you have a combination of radicalism that creates a quest for destroy another member of the United Nations, and on top of that, you create or you build weapons of mass destruction, that is something that has to be confronted." Explaining that timing and reason behind Israel's Operation Rising Lion, in which it has struck over 200 locations in Iran, including military and nuclear installations, Mr Azar said that Iran was "fooling the world" and acting in a clandestine way to enrich uranium to a level where is was on the verge of having the capability to make a nuclear weapon. Tel Aviv, could not wait any longer, he added. "Israel has declared time and again that if the Iranians attempt to create a nuclear weapon. Israel will have no choice but to take action, and this is exactly what we did," the Israeli Ambassador told NDTV in an exclusive interview. 'IRAN'S 3-FOLD PLAN FOILED' He went on to say that Iran had a three-fold plan to pose an "existential threat" to Israel, and something needed to be done urgently. "We attacked some of their ballistic missile capability because Iran was actually trying to destroy Israel on 3 tracks. The first is their multi-decade attempt to acquire nuclear weapons, which we have managed to foil. The second is the huge production of ballistic missiles. They have thousands of them. They were planning to build 10,000 ballistic missiles in the next 3 years and 20,000 in the next 6 years," he claimed. "I want people to understand what we're talking about here. Even without the nuclear weapon, we're talking about each missile carrying a 1,000 kilograms of TNT, which can kill hundreds of people at once, if you fire them. If a barrage of these target a State as small as Israel, which is half of the size of Haryana or roughly the size of Mizoram, that could be devastating to its existence," Mr Azar added. "The third part that the Iranians had planned, was of course this 'ring of fire' that they were creating around Israel by arming and helping proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the militias in Syria, in Iraq, and in Yemen. So, we took action. The reason we did so now is because we saw that they are close to acquiring a nuclear bomb, and there is almost no time left for a situation to arise, in which Iran may fire a nuclear weapon at us." 'DIPLOMACY CANNOT BE EXPLOITED' The Israeli Ambassador said that there is still a chance for Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions and pursue the path diplomacy. "Diplomacy always has a has a chance, but diplomacy cannot be exploited in order to pursue the illicit nuclear military programme that Iran has been doing. What the Iranians have been doing was even confirmed by the IAEA - that Iran is in breach of the safeguards agreement. They have been cheating the whole world for decades." Mr Azar denied that Israel is alone in this battle. Our allies are with us at all times, he said, adding that Israel is constantly in touch with the United States.
India Today
3 hours ago
- India Today
Israeli jet spotted refueling mid-air over Syria likely on way back after Iran strike
A video circulating on social media appears to show an Israeli Air Force F-16 fighter jet being refueled mid-air by a Boeing 707 tanker over Syria's Deir ez-Zor province, reportedly during the return leg of Israel's recent military strike on Iranian targets. The footage, allegedly captured by local Syrian sources, offers a rare glimpse into the Israeli military's long-range operational logistics. The location is strategically significant as it lies along the likely flight path between Israel and Iran. advertisementIt may be noted that could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. Additionally, neither Israel nor Syria has officially confirmed the footage. The footage emerged on the same day Israel launched a series of large-scale airstrikes on Iran early Friday, targeting two nuclear facilities in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the opening phase of a prolonged military Syrian authorities temporarily closed national airspace until 3 pm local time on Friday in response to the incident, citing 'precautionary' measures amid escalating regional aftermath of the strikes also impacted commercial aviation, with global airlines canceling or diverting flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran and other key Middle Eastern hubs due to safety InMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Israel#Iran
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Israel hits Iran's nuclear facilities with F-35I Adir jets costing $44K per hour to fly in daring mission
Israel has carried out a bold and very secret air strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The main focus of this operation was its top-of-the-line F-35I Adir stealth fighter jets. The move is one of the biggest steps up in tensions between the two regional powers in recent years. The mission stresses Israel's military superiority and growing worry about Iran's nuclear ambitions, which are moving faster than expected. This has caused concern around the world and a quick response from Tehran. Israel's F-35I stealth fighter jet fleet was on the front lines of Thursday's preemptive strike against Iran's nuclear program. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like You Might Want To Buy Baking Soda In Bulk After Reading This Read More What makes Israel's F-35I Adir jets so powerful? The Israeli version of the Lockheed Martin Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, called "Adir," which translates to "Mighty One" in Hebrew, is built by the United States. One of the most potent weapons in Israel's air defense arsenal is the F-35I, which has a customized electronic warfare system and advanced stealth capabilities, as per a report by Business Insider. Live Events ALSO READ: Aaron Rodgers secretly ties the knot — everything we know about Brittani, the ring, and that secret ceremony According to the Israel Defense Forces , Israel's aircraft attacked Iran and intercepted hundreds of Iranian drones, missiles, and rockets in 2024 and destroyed a missile fired by an Iranian-backed group in Yemen in 2023. Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets are among the most cutting-edge military aircraft in existence. Besides its aligned edges and radar-absorbent coating, the F-35's internal storage of weapons and fuel aids in its ability to avoid detection. In January, The National Interest reported that the planes cost $44,000 per hour to fly. They have sophisticated information-processing and stealth capabilities and can travel up to Mach 1.6, or 548.8 meters per second, supersonic, as per a report by Business Insider. In 2016, Israel purchased 50 F-35 fighter jets through the US Foreign Military Sales process, making it the first nation outside of the US to do so. By producing its own wings and electronic warfare system for the F-35I, Israel has significantly altered the aircraft. Additionally, it created its own version of the advanced helmet that shows the pilot's visor the plane's airspeed, altitude, targeting data, and other important statistics. The Israeli Air Force called its version of the F-35I "Adir," which translates to "Mighty One" in Hebrew. Why did Israel target Iran's nuclear sites now? In a preemptive strike against Iran's nuclear program, the Israeli Air Force launched more than 200 fighter jets, including F-35I aircraft, on Thursday. Israeli fighter jets hit more than 100 locations throughout Iran on Thursday to stop it from creating a nuclear weapon, including military targets and its biggest uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, according to an IDF spokesperson. How did Iran respond to the Israeli airstrikes? Iran has "accelerated significantly" its nuclear program in recent months, according to the IDF, which described this as "clear evidence that the Iranian regime is operating to obtain a nuclear weapon." According to the IDF, Iran launched a counterattack on Friday morning with more than 100 drones, most of which were intercepted by Israeli forces, reported Business Insider. FAQs Which jets did Israel use to strike Iran? Israel used F-35I Adir stealth fighter jets in the operation. Why did Israel launch the attack? According to the IDF, the goal is to prevent Iran from moving forward with its nuclear weapons program.
