Foiling Terror Before It Strikes
Security agencies foil multiple plots by Lashkar, Babbar Khalsa and Islamic State inspired modules through early intelligence, coordinated raids and swift arrests.
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In the heart of Bharat, where forces of terror once attempted to bleed the nation through a thousand cuts, a silent yet lethal counter-offensive has been unfolding with clinical precision. On 22 February 2026, the Delhi Police Special Cell struck decisively, dismantling a cross-border Lashkar-e-Taiba module orchestrated from Bangladesh by handler Shabir Ahmad Lone, who was in direct contact with global terrorists Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. Eight operatives, including seven Bangladeshi nationals, were arrested during multi-state raids, and propaganda posters along with attack blueprints were seized before any harm could be inflicted.
Between 2014-15 and 2026-27, the Intelligence Bureau's budget expanded from ₹1,176.43 crore to ₹6,782.43 crore. This represents an absolute increase of ₹5,606 crore, amounting to nearly 476 per cent growth and almost a fivefold rise in nominal allocation. This calibrated strengthening of the internal intelligence architecture has translated into tangible operational capacity in the form of early detection, digital surveillance, financial tracking and pre-emptive counter-terror actions.
Security agencies including the Intelligence Bureau, National Investigation Agency, state Anti-Terrorism Squads, Special Cells and local police forces have worked in close coordination. Through joint intelligence sharing and rapid response mechanisms, they have intercepted multiple terror modules at their embryonic stage. Improvised explosive devices, consignments of RDX, grenades, stockpiles of ammonium nitrate and foreign-made pistols have repeatedly been recovered, ensuring that hostile war material never reached its intended targets.
Nowhere is this transformation more visible than in Jammu and Kashmir. Terror incidents have declined by roughly 70 per cent, civilian fatalities by about 80 per cent and casualties among security forces by nearly 90 per cent. Stone-pelting incidents, which crossed 1,300 cases in 2018 alone, have been reduced to nearly zero. The once familiar cycle of violence, infiltration and unrest has been disrupted through a combination of decisive security action and strengthened ground-level control.
A closer look at the operational record illustrates the depth and scale of this ongoing campaign:
25 February 2026, Jalandhar, Punjab: Counter Intelligence officials dismantled a Babbar Khalsa International extortion and firing module. Two operatives were arrested and a .32 bore pistol along with live cartridges was seized.
11 February 2026, Amritsar: The State Special Operations Cell foiled a Pakistan-backed terror plot and recovered a remote-controlled improvised explosive device, a foreign-made pistol and ammunition from accused Shubham Kumar.
1 December 2025, Delhi: The Special Cell dismantled a grenade attack module directed by Pakistan-based handler Shehzad Bhatti. Three operatives were arrested during the operation.
13 November 2025, Ludhiana: Ten operatives linked to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence were arrested while planning a grenade attack in a crowded public area. A Chinese-manufactured hand grenade was recovered.
9 November 2025, Faridabad: Security agencies seized more than 2,900 kilograms of ammonium nitrate and a Krinkov assault rifle from individuals with alleged terror links, including medical professionals.
9 October 2025, Jalandhar: A Babbar Khalsa International module was neutralised. Authorities recovered a 2.5 kilogram RDX-based improvised explosive device, a remote control mechanism and a motorcycle intended for use in the attack.
11 May 2025, Jaipur Rural: Investigators recovered 2,075 kilograms of ammonium nitrate and Opti Star explosives from an abandoned pickup vehicle.
22 August 2024: A multi-state operation spanning Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi dismantled an Al-Qaeda inspired terror module led by Dr Ishtiyaq Ahmed.
22 November 2023, Bathinda: Police arrested three killers linked to Pakistan's intelligence networks and recovered eight weapons along with 30 cartridges.
3 October 2023, Delhi: A module connected to Pakistan's intelligence apparatus and operating under the disguise of an Islamic State inspired network was dismantled. Bomb-making materials were seized.
26 September 2023, Baramulla: Six terrorists including two women and a minor were arrested. Pistols and grenades were recovered during the operation.
20 July 2023, Kerala: A coordinated National Investigation Agency and Anti-Terrorism Squad operation exposed an Islamic State inspired reconnaissance module that had been surveying places of worship as potential targets.
4 October 2022, Punjab: Authorities neutralised a radicalisation network backed by intelligence handlers based in Canada and Pakistan.
22 September 2022, Kaithal: Security forces safely defused a 1.16 kilogram RDX-based improvised explosive device.
14 August 2022, Punjab: A Pakistan-linked module planning attacks ahead of Independence Day celebrations was dismantled. Three grenades, an improvised explosive device and pistols were seized.
1 December 2021, Gurdaspur: Authorities recovered 1 kilogram of RDX from an operative linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba.
26 November 2021, Reasi: Security forces destroyed 71 grenades and 24 kilograms of RDX that had been recovered in multiple anti-terror operations.
5 November 2016, Palghar: Twelve kilograms of RDX, ammonium nitrate and detonators were unearthed from a jungle hut during an anti-terror search operation.
27 October 2016, Palghar: More than 40 kilograms of explosives were recovered near the Tarapur Atomic Power Station, preventing a potentially catastrophic attack.
Each of these operations bears the same defining characteristics. Precise intelligence gathering, swift operational execution and an uncompromising stance against the proxy war being waged from across the border.
Whether it involves Lashkar-e-Taiba recruiting Bangladeshi operatives, Babbar Khalsa International receiving instructions from handlers based in the United Kingdom and Canada, Pakistan's intelligence networks pushing improvised explosive devices and grenades through encrypted channels, or Islamic State inspired modules attempting to propagate the idea of a so-called khilafat on Indian soil, every such attempt has encountered a determined and coordinated security response.
The Intelligence Bureau's expanded resources, combined with strong multi-agency coordination, have created a security architecture capable of identifying threats at their earliest stage. As a result, the first spark of terror is often extinguished long before it has the opportunity to grow into a devastating fire.
Written by
Kewali Kabir Jain
Journalism Student, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication