Two Pakistani terrorists among five held in Srinagar; LeT module with interstate links busted

Those arrested include a key operative who had allegedly evaded security agencies for nearly 16 years, and another Pakistani terrorist identified as Usman alias Khubaib.

Srinagar: In a major counter-terrorism breakthrough, Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday busted an interstate module of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba in Srinagar, arresting five individuals, including two Pakistani terrorists, officials said.

Those arrested, officials said, include Abdullah alias Abu Hureira, a key operative who had allegedly evaded security agencies for nearly 16 years, and another Pakistani terrorist identified as Usman alias Khubaib.

Three Srinagar residents — Mohammad Naqeeb Bhat, Adil Rashid Bhat and Ghulam Mohammad Mir — have also been taken into custody for allegedly providing logistical support, including shelter and food, to the militants.

Officials said the operation was launched following specific intelligence inputs and digital intercepts indicating the presence of a Lashkar-linked network operating beyond Jammu and Kashmir. The arrests are being seen as a significant lead in uncovering a wider terror ecosystem with interstate linkages.

Sources in the security establishment said coordinated raids were carried out at multiple locations across states as part of the crackdown, pointing to the existence of a deep-rooted network.

Police teams have also expanded operations outside the Union Territory, including in Punjab, with assistance from central agencies.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the module was involved in facilitating movement, logistics and possibly financial channels for foreign terrorists. Officials suspect that the network enabled operatives to operate beyond Jammu and Kashmir using forged identities and support structures built over time.

Incriminating material has been recovered during the searches, while technical surveillance is said to have played a key role in tracking the group’s activities. Investigators are now working to establish the full extent of the network, including its links with local overground workers and handlers across the border, sources said.

Security agencies believe the module may have been active for several years, with one of the arrested foreign operatives allegedly involved in coordinating activities of other militants during his time in India.

Officials said the investigation is ongoing and further details will be shared once the operation reaches its conclusion. More arrests are likely as efforts continue to dismantle the broader network.