From Digital Radicalization to Terror Plot: How Two Young Men Became ISIS Operatives in Delhi

Oct 25, 2025 12:46 am CST

Two educated young men from ordinary backgrounds were arrested in a pre-emptive operation for allegedly planning ISIS-directed attacks in Delhi during Diwali celebrations. The suspects, aged 19 and 20, underwent gradual online radicalization through propaganda videos and social media, eventually pledging allegiance to the Islamic State and receiving instructions from a handler based near the Syria-Turkey border. Their alleged targets included a prominent Delhi mall and public park before security forces intervened.