Amritsar Police has busted two terror modules allegedly backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), arresting nine accused and recovering petrol bombs, firearms, live cartridges and other incriminating materials. The police said the accused were involved in reconnaissance of security establishments, installing surveillance equipment, and planning a terror attack in the national capital.
Addressing the media, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that four accused were arrested in one of the cases, while the fifth member is a juvenile. He added that two more accused, identified as Sukhdev and Anmol, were also arrested for allegedly providing financial support to the network through hawala channels. According to the police, most of the accused belong to Punjab's Tarn Taran district.
The investigation revealed that the accused had been installing CCTV cameras along the Amritsar–Jalandhar railway track. Their primary task was to conduct reconnaissance of police stations and other security establishments by recording videos of sensitive locations and relaying the information to their handlers. Police said that, except for one individual, all members of this module are juveniles.
Commissioner Bhullar further disclosed that the accused had also planned to carry out an attack at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. As part of the conspiracy, all eight members of the group travelled to Delhi by train before returning to Punjab. During their stay, they allegedly received materials locally to prepare petrol bombs and other items intended for use in the planned attack.
During the operation, police recovered four petrol bombs, three pistols, a motorcycle, a lighter and several live cartridges. The seized items are being examined as part of the ongoing investigation into the terror network and its alleged cross-border links.
The arrests are being viewed as a significant breakthrough in efforts to dismantle terror networks allegedly operating under the guidance of Pakistan-based handlers. Investigators are also probing the financial trail and communication channels used by the accused to coordinate their activities.
The development comes shortly after the Delhi Police Special Cell dismantled two terror modules allegedly linked to the network of gangster Shahzad Bhatti. In that operation, seven accused from Delhi and Punjab were arrested for their alleged involvement in terrorist activities and arms trafficking.
According to Delhi Police, the two modules were functioning independently but were connected to a larger organised network with possible links across multiple states. The first module comprised Salman and Danish alias Chand Miyan, who were allegedly assigned the task of carrying out petrol bomb attacks. Police recovered three petrol bombs and a stolen motorcycle from their possession. Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah said the module was being operated by Hunain Rana, an associate of Shahzad Bhatti.
The second module included Tayyab of Shaheen Bagh, his brother-in-law Ali Fazal, who has previous criminal cases under the Arms Act and organised crime, along with Zubair and Malkit from Amritsar. Police alleged that the group was involved in trafficking sophisticated weapons smuggled from across the border and distributing them for criminal and terror-related activities.
Security agencies are continuing investigations into both cases to identify additional operatives, funding sources and cross-border links, while efforts are underway to determine whether the two networks had any operational or logistical connections.
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