Bangladeshi Nationals Among 8 Arrested in ISI-Linked Delhi Terror Plot

New Delhi, Feb 22: Eight suspects have been nabbed for allegedly plotting a major terror conspiracy in Delhi at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI and Bangladesh-based extremist organisations, police sources said on Sunday, amid alerts over a possible IED attack near the Red Fort.

Six of the suspects were arrested from different parts of Tamil Nadu and are being brought to Delhi for interrogation, while two others were picked up earlier in follow-up action linked to the same case. Some of those held are stated to be Bangladeshi nationals, sources said. The operation followed specific intelligence inputs about a module planning subversive activities across the country.

Searches led to the recovery of dozens of mobile phones and SIM cards, now under analysis to establish the network’s spread and foreign links. Preliminary investigation indicates the group was in touch with handlers linked to Pakistan’s ISI and certain Bangladesh-based outfits. Central agencies are assisting the probe.

Security agencies had issued an alert on Saturday about a possible explosion near the Red Fort after central intelligence flagged that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba had allegedly placed prominent religious sites in India on its target list. The suspected plan is said to involve an IED attack and is reportedly linked to attempts by the outfit to avenge the February 6 blast at a mosque in Islamabad.

The alert also comes against the backdrop of the November 10, 2025 car explosion near the Red Fort that killed at least 13 people and injured more than 20 when an explosives-laden vehicle detonated near Gate No 1 of the Red Fort metro station, igniting nearby vehicles and triggering panic in the crowded area. (Agencies)