Daijiworld Media Network - Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Feb 11: In a major intelligence-driven operation, the Punjab Police’s Special Operations Cell in Amritsar has dismantled another Pakistan-backed terror module, averting what officials described as a significant terror plot. One suspect was arrested and an improvised explosive device (IED) encased in a metallic shell with a remote-control mechanism was recovered along with a foreign-made pistol and ammunition, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Wednesday.
The arrested individual has been identified as Shubham Kumar, also known as Shubham Srivastav, a resident of Sarosa village in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur district.
The operation comes just a day after Punjab Police exposed an ISI-backed terror module with the arrest of Rahul Kumar alias Gaju from Amritsar and the seizure of an RDX-based IED.
DGP Yadav said preliminary investigations indicate that Shubham Kumar was in direct contact with a Pakistan-based handler through encrypted communication platforms. The terror consignment, he said, had been smuggled across the border and collected from a pre-designated location on the outskirts of Amritsar.
“The recovered IED was meant for targeted attacks across multiple states, including Punjab and Delhi,” Yadav stated, adding that further investigations are underway to uncover and dismantle the wider network.
Providing operational details, Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Amritsar, Sukhminder Singh Mann, said police had received specific intelligence that Pakistani operatives had delivered a consignment of explosives and weapons via drone. The materials were allegedly retrieved by local associates for planned attacks in Punjab, Delhi, and other parts of the country.
Acting swiftly, special teams were formed and an operation was launched, leading to the arrest of Shubham Kumar near a dargah along the Amritsar-Jalandhar GT Road. The IED and pistol were recovered from an abandoned area in the vicinity.
According to the AIG, investigations suggest that the accused had travelled from Uttar Pradesh to Amritsar after being promised substantial payment by his handler. He allegedly collected the explosives and weapons from a specified drop point on the handler’s instructions.
Further investigation is ongoing to identify other operatives and trace the broader terror network.