New Delhi: Indian security agencies have busted several terror-linked modules over the past few months that were allegedly being operated by the underworld at the behest of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The names of underworld figures Dawood Ibrahim, Shahzad Bhatti, and Ajmal Gujjar have surfaced during investigations following the arrest of several youths recruited through social media platforms.
While initial investigations revealed plans to carry out attacks in Delhi and Mumbai, intelligence agencies now believe that these modules may have also served another purpose, creating a smokescreen to divert attention from a larger terror plot aimed at Jammu and Kashmir.
A senior Intelligence Bureau official said the broader objective appeared to be a major strike in Jammu and Kashmir. According to the official, the underworld has established multiple modules across the country, some of which may have been deliberately created to confuse security agencies.
“It is a fact that the underworld has set up multiple modules in the country. Some of these networks may have been intended only to create confusion and divert attention away from a possible attack in Jammu and Kashmir,” the official said.
The underworld-linked networks focused on recruiting mobile phone mechanics, individuals with strong computer skills and CCTV experts. The pattern first came to light when police uncovered a module operating out of Faridabad. Investigators found that members of the group had installed solar-powered CCTV systems at sensitive and crowded locations.
At first, investigators believed the network was planning attacks in Delhi and Mumbai. However, further examination of the case pointed towards a larger conspiracy involving Jammu and Kashmir. Intelligence inputs suggested that the ISI was attempting to engineer an attack similar to the Pulwama and Pahalgam incidents.
“The modus operandi adopted this time was different. The recruits were all Indian nationals, and religion was not a factor in their selection,” the officials said.
The ISI allegedly sought to replicate the impact of Pulwama and Pahalgam while using Indian operatives as the primary executors of the plan. Investigators also found it noteworthy that the handlers did not focus on recruiting individuals from Jammu and Kashmir.
“Recruiting local residents from Jammu and Kashmir would have immediately attracted suspicion and increased the chances of the network being exposed,” the officials pointed out.
An official said security arrangements in Jammu and Kashmir remain at their highest levels following the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, during which Indian armed forces targeted and destroyed major terror infrastructure linked to Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.
The official added that although the ISI continues efforts to revive or create home-grown terror networks in Jammu and Kashmir, such operations are currently being conducted in a low-profile manner. Pakistan, however, is keen to keep the Kashmir issue alive, particularly at a time when it is facing serious internal challenges after the unrest in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Another intelligence official said agencies must remain alert to the emergence of more modules linked to figures such as Bhatti and Dawood. These networks are allegedly attempting to create multiple cells capable of targeting Indian cities. At the same time, some of these modules may be intended to act as distractions while another group executes a strike in Jammu and Kashmir.
Investigators probing the Faridabad module found that its members had planned to install CCTV systems at railway stations along the route between Delhi and Jammu to monitor military movements. The recruits had also travelled to Pulwama and allegedly passed sensitive information to handlers based in Pakistan.
This clearly indicated that the module was tasked with collecting detailed intelligence from Kashmir so that an attack on the lines of Pulwama and Pahalgam could be planned and executed, the official said.–(Agencies)
