The arrest of Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT) commander, Shabbir Ahmed Lone, by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police is a significant breakthrough. Lone, under LeT’s Sumana Babar, had set up a wide-reaching network across India. He recruited individuals from various states like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Delhi, planning large-scale attacks.
Lone’s strategy involved deploying operatives from South India for missions in the North to avoid detection. His recruits conducted reconnaissance on potential targets, aiming to carry out a series of blasts over an extended period. The Delhi Police uncovered this plot when six Bangladeshi nationals were arrested for supporting Pakistan and Hizbul Mujahideen.
The arrested Bangladeshis were part of Lone’s plan to target temples, particularly the Gauri Shankar and Kalkaji Temple in Chandni Chowk. Lone, operating from Nepal, praised their actions and instructed them to await further orders. The coordinated efforts of Delhi Police and intelligence agencies led to Lone’s arrest at Ghazipur, averting a major attack.
An Intelligence Bureau official emphasized the need to dismantle other modules established by Lone. The focus now shifts to the West Bengal module, where trained recruits are poised to enter India through Nepal and Bangladesh borders. Recent intelligence suggests terror groups planning attacks in West Bengal and Assam, with Saidul Islam overseeing operations from Bangladesh.
Authorities are monitoring the Hatiara area in Kolkata, suspected to be a base for coordinating attacks in West Bengal. The establishment of this base signals a concerning escalation in terror activities in the region.
