In a major breakthrough against terrorism, security agencies have arrested five suspected ISIS operatives in a coordinated multi-state operation spanning Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Telangana. Among those held was Ashar Danish, a postgraduate in English who reportedly led the group under the code name “Gazwa.” Danish, disguised as a student in Ranchi, is believed to be an expert bomb-maker with advanced knowledge of chemical weapons. Authorities recovered a pistol, digital devices, and several chemicals from his possession, including hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, sulphur powder, and ball bearings, which were allegedly intended for the manufacturing of explosives.
The accused were part of a sleeper cell tasked with expanding the terror group’s network in India. Their “Khilafat model,” reportedly directed by handlers in Pakistan, revolved around occupying territory and carrying out jihad-inspired operations. Apart from Danish, Aftab and Abu Sufiyan were detained from Delhi’s Nizamuddin railway station, while Kamran Qureshi was caught in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh and Huzaif Yemen in Telangana. Officials disclosed that the group was in constant communication with their foreign handlers through encrypted social media platforms, raising fears of a larger network at play.
Investigations revealed that the operatives were assigned a “big task,” hinting at a possible large-scale terror strike. Items seized during raids included laptops, mobile phones, weighing machines, respirator masks, gloves, and wires alongside volatile chemicals, pointing towards plans for sophisticated improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Security agencies are now interrogating the suspects and tracking their wider links, as the arrests mark one of the most significant blows to ISIS-linked networks in India in recent times.
