Lahore, Amid the country’s ongoing efforts to curb the menace of terrorism, Punjab’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has foiled a major terror plot during a recent crackdown named “Operation Yalghar” and apprehended six suspected terrorists working for India’s intelligence agency Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) in the province.

Speaking during a press conference in Lahore, Punjab Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Operations Shehzada Sultan — flanked by CTD’s SSP Operations Waqar Azim — said that the police officers disclosed that two operatives, Aslam and Akbar Ali, were arrested in Bahawalnagar while obtaining explosives directly from India’s Border Security Force (BSF).

The terrorists, they added, were in contact with Indian intelligence officers, identified as RAW’s Major Ravindra Rathore and Inspector Singh.

The CTD’s action reiterates Pakistan’s concerns regarding India’s subversive strategy in the region and New Delhi’s involvement in carrying out and sponsoring terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

India has been involved in state-sponsored terrorism for the past 20 years, Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said last month during a media talk following the school bus bombing in Balochistan’s Khuzdar which resulted in the martyrdom of several children.

During their presser, the CTD officials revealed that the arrested individuals had planned to carry out attacks on a mosque and the railway station in Bahawalpur and explosives, detonators, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), safety fuses and confidential maps were recovered from the suspects, who confessed to receiving instructions for the attack.

Additionally, three other alleged RAW agents — Azam alias Jaji, Manzoor alias Qari (both from Bahawalnagar), and Amjad from Pakpattan were captured from Toba Tek Singh.

Meanwhile, Zulfiqar, a key facilitator allegedly involved in funding these activities from Dubai, was nabbed in Bahawalpur.

CTD Punjab has also intercepted audio conversations between the suspects and Indian intelligence officers and terrorists. These recordings reportedly include discussions about targeted killings and attacks on sensitive sites.

Speaking to reporters, AIG Sultan stressed that India was attempting to destabilise Pakistan through acts of terrorism, but security agencies were fully prepared to thwart such efforts.

The police officer assured that no compromise would be made on the country’s security.