In a significant counter-terror breakthrough, the Delhi Police Special Cell on Friday said it had foiled a major ISIS-backed terror attack planned to target high-footfall areas in the national capital during Diwali celebrations.
Officials said two men, both named Adnan, were arrested in coordinated operations across Delhi and Bhopal, preventing what could have been a devastating attack on civilians.
“The arrests have averted a possible terror attack in Delhi,” said Pramod Kushwaha, Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), during a press briefing.
Suspects Planned Diwali Strikes at Crowded Locations
Investigators revealed that the duo had reconnoitered multiple crowded sites, including a south Delhi mall and a public park, where they intended to carry out IED-based blasts to inflict maximum casualties.
Police recovered a video showing the suspects pledging allegiance to ISIS, along with photographs of potential target locations and a makeshift timer device built from a wristwatch.
According to sources, the accused had also compiled a list of shops from where they planned to buy components to assemble the improvised explosive device (IED).
Timeline of Arrests: Operations in Delhi and Bhopal
The first suspect, a resident of Sadiq Nagar in Delhi, was arrested on October 16. Based on his interrogation, a second suspect — also named Adnan — was tracked down and arrested in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
The Bhopal-based accused had earlier drawn attention for threatening an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officer on social media regarding the Gyanvapi mosque survey, officials said.
The arrests are part of a larger crackdown on an ISIS-inspired module operating across multiple states, according to officials cited by a news agency.
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Both men were allegedly being trained for “fidayeen” (suicide-style) attacks, and initial evidence suggests they had been in contact with foreign handlers.
“Electronic devices and other incriminating material recovered from them indicate they were in the final stages of preparing an IED-based attack,” a police source was quoted by an agency.
The operation was based on specific intelligence inputs and executed by teams led by Additional Commissioner Pramod Kushwaha and ACP Lalit Mohan Negi.
Probe Into International Links and Radicalisation
Investigators are examining whether the duo had links to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) or other transnational extremist networks.
“We are investigating the wider network and their possible international connections,” said a senior police source.
The Special Cell suspects the two were radicalised online and may have received logistical and ideological support from overseas handlers. Authorities are also checking if they attempted to recruit new members in Delhi or Bhopal.
Police Praise Swift Action That Prevented Festive Tragedy
Officials said the arrests likely prevented a large-scale terror strike during the festive season.
“The preliminary investigation shows they were preparing for a major attack. Their plans were at an advanced stage,” an officer said.
Search operations continue at multiple locations connected to the accused as police attempt to unravel the wider network and trace additional suspects.
