Major terror plot in Delhi foiled, 18 sophisticated firearms seized

A major terror plot in Delhi was foiled, with 18 firearms recovered from nine operatives. A cross-border syndicate is being probed. Separately, UP ATS arrested two ISI-linked gangsters in Noida who were radicalizing youth on social media.

A major terror plot to attack the national capital using advanced weapons has been reportedly foiled, with a suspected cross-border syndicate involving Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal under investigation, sources said. Security agencies recovered 18 sophisticated firearms from nine alleged operatives, who were reportedly planning to route the weapons through Munger for distribution across several states. Sources said Shahbaz Ansari, a wanted accused of the NIA in the Sidhu Moosewala arms supply case and a resident of Khurja, Uttar Pradesh, is also being probed.

The development follows the first anniversary of Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepalese citizen on April 22, 2025.

UP ATS Nabs ISI-Linked Gangsters

Earlier on April 24, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad on Thursday arrested two gangsters operating under the direct influence of Pakistan-based handlers and the ISI in Noida. The suspects, identified as twenty-year-olds Tushar Chauhan, alias Hizbullah Ali Khan, and Samir Khan, were caught with a pistol, live ammunition, and a knife.

Sleeper Cells and Targeted Killings

The action followed intelligence that these gangsters, acting on the instructions of the ISI, were attempting to compromise India's internal security. They had been collaborating with terrorist organisations and gangsters to incite Indian youth through Instagram and various social media platforms, according to ATS. The two terrorists worked with gangsters Shahzad Bhatti and Abid Jatt and aimed to create sleeper cells to execute targeted killings and reconnaissance of sensitive locations.

According to UP ATS, Bhatti allegedly offered Tushar a sum of 300,000 rupees, a portion of which was paid in advance, and promised him a passport and safe passage to Pakistan via Dubai after the completion of the attacks. These assignments were not just the work of criminals but were linked to ISI agents referred to as Major Hamid, Major Iqbal, and Major Anwar, who allegedly facilitated the delivery of the recovered weapons and funds. (ANI)

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