In a major breakthrough, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have uncovered an inter-state and transnational terror module linked to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), an al-Qaeda-affiliated group active across Jammu and Kashmir. The investigation has led to the recovery of 2,900 kilograms of bomb-making material, including 350 kilograms of suspected ammonium nitrate, timers, weapons, and ammunition from multiple locations, including a hospital locker near Delhi.
The recoveries were made following coordinated raids across Srinagar, Anantnag, Ganderbal, Shopian, and Faridabad (Haryana) by J&K Police and central intelligence agencies. Investigators say the network represents a growing trend of “white-collar radicalisation,” with several professionals, including doctors, allegedly working under the direction of handlers in Pakistan and other countries.
Explosives and Weapons Found Near Delhi
The investigation began after the arrest of Dr. Adil Ahmad Rather, a doctor from Kulgam, accused of putting up posters supporting Jaish-e-Mohammed in Srinagar on 27 October 2025. CCTV footage from the area led to his arrest in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in a joint operation by J&K and UP Police.
During questioning, Rather revealed information leading to Faridabad, where police recovered 350 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, 20 electronic timers, a pistol, three magazines, a walkie-talkie set, and an assault rifle. The materials were found at the residence of Dr. Mujammil Shakeel, a Pulwama native employed at Al-Falah Hospital, and inside Rather’s hospital locker at the Government Medical College, Anantnag.
Faridabad Police Commissioner Satender Kumar Gupta confirmed the seizure and said forensic teams were examining the explosive material, believed to be used for manufacturing IEDs. The explosives were initially feared to be RDX before forensic analysis identified them as ammonium nitrate.
Both doctors were arrested and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Arms Act. A woman doctor from the same hospital has also come under scrutiny after police discovered an assault rifle inside her car.
Arrests Across Jammu & Kashmir
According to intelligence sources, at least seven people have been arrested so far. In addition to Dr. Rather and Dr. Shakeel, the others are Arif Nisar Dar, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar from Srinagar; Molvi Irfan Ahmad from Shopian; and Zameer Ahmad Ahanger from Ganderbal.
The police said these individuals were part of a broader radicalised network that not only disseminated propaganda such as pro-JeM posters but also participated in logistical operations, including weapons storage and coordination with handlers abroad.
Investigators recovered incriminating documents, booklets on IED assembly, and a large cache of guns and ammunition, including an Italian-made Beretta pistol and a Russian-made Krinkov assault rifle, a compact variant of the AK-74.
2,900 kg of Explosives and Bomb-Making Materials
Officials said that across all linked locations, a total of nearly 2,900 kilograms of IED-making materials were recovered. This includes explosives, chemicals, electronic circuits, remote-control devices, wires, batteries, and timers. More than one-third of this haul – the 350 kg ammonium nitrate was recovered from Faridabad.
Authorities believe this stockpile was part of an ongoing effort to prepare for coordinated terror strikes, though the precise targets and timelines remain under investigation.
Senior police officials said the cache’s proximity to the national capital poses a serious security concern, and agencies are examining how such a large quantity of explosives was transported and stored undetected.
Pakistan-Based Network and Handlers
Sources told NDTV that intelligence inputs point to Pakistani handlers directing these operatives via encrypted communication platforms. These handlers are believed to be coordinating multiple modules within India, providing both ideological guidance and operational instructions.
Recent intelligence assessments have highlighted a renewed mobilisation by Pakistan-backed groups, including Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, to intensify infiltration and cross-border logistics in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the Pahalgam attack in April 2025.
Reports have also indicated that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been engineering a covert alliance between Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), particularly within Balochistan, to expand terror operations against India.
White-Collar Radicalisation: A New Threat
Officials said the involvement of medical professionals including doctors, represents a troubling trend of “white-collar terror,” where educated individuals are radicalised online or through ideological indoctrination and then recruited into terror networks.
Authorities are also tracking the flow of funds to and from these operatives and their backers abroad. According to investigators, both doctors were allegedly in touch with ISI-linked intermediaries in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and had been communicating via secure, encrypted messaging applications.
This news comes at the heels of the Gujarat ATS arresting three members including an MBBS doctor for allegedly conspiring to carry out mass-casualty terrorist attacks across India. The suspects were apprehended while supplying sophisticated weapons and were in the advanced stages of producing Ricin, a deadly chemical poison.
(Source: NDTV)
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