 "The Jammu and Kashmir Police, along with the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Faridabad Police, carried out extensive searches in home of Dr Muzammil Shakeel, also a Kashmiri doctor in Dhauj village, located on the outskirts of Faridabad. File Image/PTI")
The Jammu & Kashmir Police, with help from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Faridabad Police, have reportedly foiled a major terror plot after seizing around 350 kilograms of explosives, an AK-47 rifle, and a large quantity of ammunition from a rented house in Faridabad’s Dhauj village.
The bust, which took place on Sunday, came just days after the arrest of a Kashmiri doctor from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, who was accused of putting up posters in Srinagar supporting terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
Investigators believe the doctor and the man linked to the Faridabad hideout were part of a wider terror network with suspected cross-border links, possibly planning large-scale attacks in northern India.
A senior officer from the J&K Police described the discovery as “a major breakthrough that may have averted a catastrophic terror attack,” Hindustan Times reported.
So, how did investigators connect the dots, and how did the crackdown unfold? Here’s what we know so far.
A poster in Srinagar exposed it all
According to a News18 report citing police sources, the trail goes back to October 27, when posters supporting the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) appeared in parts of Srinagar.
Local police began investigating the incident and, after scanning CCTV footage, identified a man named Adil Rather putting up the posters. Nine days later, on November 6, he was traced to a hospital on Ambala Road in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, where he was arrested.
Investigations revealed that Rather had previously worked at the Government Medical College in Anantnag until October last year. When police searched his locker there, they reportedly found an assault rifle hidden inside.
Further inquiries uncovered Rather’s links to Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH), a terror group that seeks to impose Sharia law in Kashmir and wage jihad against India.
This finding alarmed the authorities, who suspected that Rather and his associates were attempting to revive AGH’s network in the Valley. Their probe eventually led them to another name, Dr Muzammil Shakeel, also a Kashmiri doctor believed to be associated with the group.
Acting on intelligence inputs, the Jammu and Kashmir Police, along with local authorities, raided Shakeel’s rented accommodation in Faridabad, Haryana, and what they uncovered there was far more alarming than anyone had anticipated.
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The shocking Faridabad haul
The Jammu and Kashmir Police, along with the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Faridabad Police, carried out extensive searches in Shakeel’s home in Dhauj village, located on the outskirts of Faridabad.
According to police officials, the operation led to the recovery of 14 bags of ammonium nitrate weighing around 100 kilograms, 84 live cartridges, an AK-47 rifle, 20 timers, and five litres of chemical solution. In total, 48 items suspected of being used in assembling improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were seized.
Locals and investigative sources revealed to News18 that the Al-Falah Hospital, where Shakeel had been working, was established years ago with reported external funding from the Gulf, in memory of a donor’s family member. The institution’s staff and teaching members are said to be predominantly Muslim.
Top intelligence sources have described the module as a possible “sleeper cell” setup. Faridabad’s proximity to Delhi, combined with the semi-rural isolation of areas like Dhauj, made it an ideal hideout, providing easy access to the National Capital Region while staying under the radar.
A senior police officer said that preliminary forensic testing has confirmed the explosive nature of the recovered materials, with further analysis underway. The seized items have been sent for detailed forensic examination to determine their composition and potential usage.
According to officials, the ammonium nitrate and other materials found were enough to create multiple high-intensity IEDs, capable of causing large-scale destruction if detonated.
Investigators are now focusing on tracing the supply chain of the explosives and identifying possible links to handlers across the border. Intelligence agencies are also probing how the network was funded and whether it was part of a larger terror module operating in northern India.
Cases have been registered under the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and officials say the next step is to completely dismantle the group’s operational structure.
As the probe widens, multiple agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), are expected to join the investigation, according to police sources.
With input from agencies