J&K Police Probing Al-Qaeda Footprints in Pan-India Terror Strikes Plot

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Police have launched a major investigation into possible Al-Qaeda links behind a pan‑India terror plot. The probe has widened after a joint operation with Faridabad Police led to the recovery of a large cache of arms and explosives from a rented house in Haryana.

During the raids, police seized AK‑47 rifles, pistols, magazines, and nearly 350 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, a chemical often used to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Officials say the scale of the recovery points to plans for a large‑scale attack similar to the Pulwama terror attack of 2019.

The investigation began after the arrest of Dr Adil Ahmad Rather in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir. His questioning revealed links to other doctors and clerics suspected of helping the network. This led police to Faridabad, where Dr Muzammil, a senior doctor at Al‑Falah College, and Istak, an Imam from Dhauj village, were detained.

The Imam’s wife told Republic that her husband had been serving at the mosque for 20 years and did not know why he was taken away. She also said Dr Muzammil visited the mosque daily for prayers.

Police are also searching for Dr Umar Mohammad, who is absconding, while another suspect, Dr Shaheen Shahid, has been taken into custody for questioning.

Recovered items include two AK‑47 rifles with multiple magazines, one pistol with live rounds, empty cartridges and additional magazines. Police also recovered several suitcases filled with ammonium nitrate

Officials believe the group was part of a Jaish‑e‑Mohammed (JeM) module with possible Al‑Qaeda footprints, and that the explosives were meant for coordinated strikes across India.

The case has been registered under the UAPA Act and the Arms Act, and further investigation is underway. Police say this is one of the biggest terror busts outside Jammu and Kashmir, underlining the spread of sleeper cells into other states and the seriousness of the threat.

Read More: J&K Police Foil Major Terror Attack In Faridabad; 7 Jaish Terrorists Arrested, 350 KG Explosives & AK-47s Recovered