Eight Held In Multi- State Anti-Terror Operation; LeT, ISI Links Suspected

A suspected terror conspiracy with cross-border links has been foiled after Delhi Police arrested eight individuals in a coordinated operation spanning Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Investigators believe the group was being guided by handlers operating from Bangladesh with alleged connections to Pakistan based militant outfit Lashkar – e – Taiba and Pakistan’s intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence. The alleged handler, said to be a Kashmiri naive, is believed to have undergone training in Pakistan.

Six of the accused were picked up from garment factories in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, where they had been working while allegedly using forged Aadhaar documents to hide their identities. Two more suspects were detained in West Bengal. Police suspect some among them are Bangladeshi nationals. Security agencies seized eight mobile phones and 16 SIM cards during the raids.

Digital data recovered from the devices reportedly includes videos of surveillance conducted in multiple cities, including Delhi.

The crackdown follows recent intelligence warnings about a possible attack targeting crowded religious and heritage sites in the capital, including areas around Chandni Chowk and near the Red Fort. Officials believe the group was preparing for a major strike, potentially involving an improvised explosive device.

The investigation began after agencies tracked suspicious online activity supporting extremist causes, eventually leading to the multi-state arrests. Further interrogation and digital analysis are underway to uncover the wider network.