Jaish Terrorists’ Top Targets: UP’s RSS office, Delhi’s Azad Mandi & Ahmedabad’s Naroda Fruit Market

New Delhi: After the J&K Police and the Faridabad Police bust a major terror module linked to Jaish and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), investigators have released details of the specific target destinations the cell had shortlisted.

Reconnaissance footage and photographs, recorded by two operatives in Uttar Pradesh and transmitted to Pakistan-based handlers, pinpointed three priority locations that, had the plot succeeded, could have caused mass casualties and widespread panic.

The Three Targets

RSS office, Uttar Pradesh

The target was chosen for its symbolic and political value. Attacking a political/ideological organisation was likely intended to provoke a strong communal response and amplify tensions beyond the immediate blast radius.

Azad Mandi, New Delhi

Azad Mandi in New Delhi is a busy wholesale and retail hub with heavy footfall. A strike here would have caused significant civilian casualties, disrupted supply chains and created major civil disorder in the national capital.

Naroda Fruit Market, Ahmedabad

Naroda Fruit Market is one of Ahmedabad’s crowded open markets where shoppers and traders gather in large numbers. The market’s packed lanes make it a high-casualty soft target and its selection points to intent to hit commercial life and everyday civilians.

Modus Operandi Revealed

Police sources say the operatives carried out systematic reconnaissance, videoing entry/exit points, peak hours and security arrangements, then forwarded the recordings to handlers in Pakistan. Investigators believe the plan called for three coordinated strikes in quick succession to overwhelm response mechanisms and maximise fear.

The three targets were chosen to amplify the threat due to the high civilian density, their symbolic value and operational advantage.

Immediate Response

Following the Faridabad recoveries and the identification of the targets, the police have intensified patrols and checkpoints around the named locations. Besides, advisories have been issued to local administrations and market associations to step up surveillance.

Targeted raids are underway and cordons are in place in the districts linked to the module to prevent any follow-up attempts.

A senior investigator said, “The selection of these three sites shows the cell wanted both shock value and strategic impact. Civilian casualties were planned to create panic and symbolic attacks would have led to tensions. Timely intelligence and coordinated raids prevented what could have been catastrophic.”

The police are continuing fast-track inquiries into whether additional soft targets had been shortlisted.

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