8 Arrested For Plotting Attack In India, Had Links With Pak's Lashkar, Bangladesh: Sources

Eight people, suspected of allegedly plotting a major terror conspiracy in India with backing from Pakistan's Laskhar and ISI and Bangladesh-based terror groups, have been arrested from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

While six suspects - identified as Mizanur Rahman, Mohammed Shabat, Umar, Mohammed Litan, Mohammed Shahid, and Mohammed Ujjal - were arrested from garment manufacturing units in Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur district, two were arrested from West Bengal, sources said.

According to officials, a Bangladeshi national is among the arrested suspects.

Sources indicate the accused were allegedly using forged Aadhaar cards for identification.

The police recovered dozens of eight mobile phones and 16 SIM cards from the suspects, officials said.

The suspects were arrested by the Tamil Nadu police and are being handed over to the Delhi police.

Officials said that the suspects had put up posters of 'Free Kashmir' and 'Stop Genocide in Kashmir' at more than 10 locations, including metro stations, across Delhi and Kolkata around 10 days ago. Investigation revealed that they had received funding from terrorist organisations - with whom they were either in direct contact or via social media. Some of the accused were in contact with a handler in Bangladesh - who is currently based in Pakistan.

This comes a day after sources, citing security agencies, said that Pakistan's Lashkar-e-Taiba has been planning a blast near Delhi's Red Fort, and other prominent religious places across the country, including a temple in Chandni Chowk. Sources suggest that the terror outfit may be plotting an improvised explosive device (IED) attack.

The outfit is allegedly seeking to avenge the February 6 suicide blast at a mosque in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, in which 31 people died, and over 160 were injured, sources said. The Islamic State group, however, had claimed responsibility for the mosque attack.

Officials are foiling the terror plots nearly three months after a deadly car explosion near the historic Red Fort in Delhi on November 10, 2025 - in which 12 people were killed, and nearly two dozen were injured. The blast, caused by a car loaded with explosives near the Red Fort Metro Station, triggered fires in multiple nearby vehicles. Umar Mohammad, alias Umar Un Nabi, a doctor at the Al-Falah University in Faridabad, was driving the car that exploded.

The incident took place on a day when 2,900 kg of explosives, including ammonium nitrate, were found just 50 km from the capital, in neighbouring Haryana's Faridabad. Sources said that Umar Mohammad reportedly panicked and triggered the blast near the Red Fort after investigators arrested two key members of the module - Dr Muzammil Shakeel and Dr Adil Rather - and seized the explosives.