Lashkar terrorist arrested: Delhi Police nab Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Shabir Ahmed Lone near Bangladesh border

Lashkar terrorist arrested: A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative, accused of plotting deadly terror attacks in India was arrested near the Delhi border, officials said on Monday. 

The accused, Shabir Ahmad Lone alias Raja alias Kashmiri, is a resident of Kangang in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar district. He was arrested by Delhi Police's Special Cell in coordination with central agencies after being on the radar for his alleged role in running India-focused terror operations.

The officials said Lone had bene based in Bangladesh and operating anti-India activities at the behest of Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI. He is accused of recruiting Bangladeshi nationals, including those residing illegally in India, to execute terror plots while concealing Pakistan's involvement. 

Lone was initially arrested by the Special Cell in 2007 after being found with a large cache of arms and ammunition, including an AK-47 rifle and grenades. Investigators at the time established his direct links with Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief and 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed, as well as Lashkar commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. He remained in Tihar Jail until 2018, when he was granted bail.

Officials said he later resurfaced in Bangladesh, where he allegedly re-established Lashkar networks and continued coordinating operations aimed at India. They added that his activities point to a cross-border command structure, with handlers based in Pakistan and operatives operating out of Bangladesh.

The arrest comes days after security agencies busted a Lashkar-linked terror module operating across Delhi and parts of South India. Anti-India posters at several locations including Delhi and Kolkata were put up as part of the module in an attempt to spread propaganda alongside operational groundwork.