Uncovered: Jaish-e-Mohammed's Plot to Use Long-Range Drones for Major Terror Attack in India

The explosion near Red Fort claimed 15 lives.

According to sources, the physicians and other individuals detained as members of Jaish-e-Mohammed's white-collar terror cell were scheduled to receive a shipment of long-range drones from a Pakistani handler.

The plan to import drones in separate components was thwarted when authorities uncovered the terror network on November 10, discovering 2,900 kilograms of explosives at a leased property in Haryana's Faridabad. Later that evening, a vehicle detonated on a busy street outside Delhi's Red Fort, resulting in 15 fatalities.

Sources revealed that the drones, capable of carrying up to 10-kilogram payloads, were intended to enter India through an export company via an order placed by an Indian import business.

Similar to previously intercepted devices used for smuggling weapons and narcotics from Pakistan into India, these assembled drones would have had a range of several kilometers. Sources further indicated that the apprehended terror operatives planned to assemble these drones and execute a significant attack by mounting pre-fabricated explosives on them.

On November 17, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) apprehended Jasir Bilal Wani from Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar for his role as an active co-conspirator with Delhi car bomber Dr. Umar Muhammad Nabi. He was allegedly involved in modifying drones and attempting to develop rockets prior to the deadly car bombing.

The NIA continues investigating multiple aspects to fully expose the conspiracy behind the bombing. Numerous teams from the anti-terror agency are pursuing various leads and conducting searches across several states to identify all individuals involved in the attack.

Another significant discovery revealed that the accused were in the process of preparing 200 bombs, designed to detonate simultaneously in Delhi and other regions across North India. The strategy involved orchestrating bomb attacks throughout North Indian states, with Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI specifically selecting a JeM operative to train the accused members of the Faridabad cell.

The investigation also found that the radicalization of the doctors involved in the terror network began as early as 2019 through social media platforms, according to PTI. Current findings indicate a concerning evolution in cross-border terror tactics, where highly educated professionals were completely indoctrinated through digital channels by handlers operating from Pakistan and other global locations, according to officials familiar with the investigation.