Lashkar-e-Taiba Terrorist Captured Alive, Major Terror Plot Foiled
During the investigation, it was revealed that the terrorist was operating from Bangladesh and was working under the directions of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI. His objective was to establish a new terror network in India and recruit local youth by misleading them into joining extremist activities. Officials said that Shabbir is not new to terrorist activities. He had previously been arrested in 2007 with a large cache of weapons, including AK-47 rifles and grenades.
A major development has emerged from the national capital, Delhi, where India’s security agencies have achieved a significant breakthrough. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the Delhi Police Special Cell, along with central security agencies, laid a trap and apprehended a suspected terrorist as soon as he entered the city limits.
The arrested individual has been identified as Shabbir Ahmad Lone, who was allegedly involved in plotting to build a major terrorist module against India. Investigations revealed that he had been operating from Bangladesh under the directions of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI. His objective was to establish a new terror network in India and recruit local youth by misleading them into participating in extremist activities.
Officials said Lone is not new to terrorism-related activities. In 2007, he was arrested by the Special Cell with a large cache of weapons, including AK-47 rifles and grenades. Following his conviction, he was lodged in Tihar Jail until 2018. However, after his release, he allegedly returned to terrorist activities.
According to sources, Lone had direct links with Hafiz Saeed, the chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba, and his deputy Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. He is also believed to have received both basic and advanced militant training at terror camps in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Investigators have further discovered that Lone was targeting youths illegally residing in India through routes from Bangladesh, attempting to recruit them into terror plots. Agencies also suspect that the same terror module was behind the recent appearance of anti-India posters in several cities, including Delhi and Kolkata.
Lone was first arrested in 2007 with a substantial cache of arms and ammunition, including an AK-47 rifle and grenades. At that time, officials confirmed his direct connections with Hafiz Saeed, the chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawa and mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, as well as Lashkar commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. He remained in Tihar Jail until 2018 before being released on bail.
Authorities believe that after his release, Lone resurfaced in Bangladesh, where he allegedly worked to reorganize the Lashkar network and continued coordinating operations targeting India. Officials say his activities reflect a cross-border command structure involving handlers in Pakistan and operatives stationed in Bangladesh.
Security agencies are currently interrogating Lone to uncover the full extent of the network, including recruitment channels, funding routes, and potential targets in India.