Representative image of security personnel
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: In one of the most alarming recoveries in recent years, Jammu and Kashmir Police unearthed a massive cache of explosives — 360 kilograms of explosives (possibly ammonium nitrate), an assault rifle, one pistol and ammunition — from Faridabad in Haryana, on the outskirts of the national capital.
It was initially reported that the explosives recovered were RDX. However, Faridabad Police later clarified that it was not RDX, but 360 kg of inflammable material which is possibly ammonium nitrate.
The recovery, officials said, followed disclosures made by an arrested Kashmiri doctor, identified as Dr. Adeel Ahmad Rather, during interrogation. Acting on his information, J&K police conducted a raid at Al Falah Hospital in Faridabad, leading to the unprecedented haul of explosives.
Earlier, security agencies had seized an AK-47 rifle and ammunition from a locker belonging to Dr. Rather in a Kashmir hospital, where he was working till last year before shifting to Faridabad, indicating a wider operational footprint. Another doctor, Dr. Muzamil Shakeel, a resident of Koil in Pulwama district, has also been detained for allegedly helping stock and conceal the explosives in Faridabad.
Both suspects are currently under custody of Jammu and Kashmir police as investigators try to piece together what officials describe as a potential trans-regional terror conspiracy with grave implications for national security.
A group of doctors from Jammu and Kashmir has also come under the scanner, as security agencies suspect their links to terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
Senior security officials said the recovery points to the possibility of a major terror plot being foiled, one that could have targeted the National Capital Region (NCR) or other strategic sites in North India.
“This is not a routine recovery — it suggests deep infiltration of terror logistics networks extending beyond J&K. The use of medical professionals as facilitators adds an alarming dimension,” a senior police officer told DH.
Sources said security agencies are now tracing the origin of the explosives and the financial and logistical chain that enabled its movement from Kashmir to Haryana. Investigators suspect cross-border terror handlers may have coordinated the operation through encrypted communication channels, exploiting professional networks for cover.
As the investigation widens, more arrests are likely, and agencies are treating the case as a national security priority — a reminder that despite years of counter-terror successes in Kashmir, the battle has far from ended.