Nepali spy, sleeper cells: Pak ISI's big terror plot before Pahalgam attack
Intelligence agencies unearthed a plot orchestrated by Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to carry out a major terrorist strike in the country, one that was in the works before the Pahalgam killings, top sources said.The breakthrough came with the arrest of a Nepali-origin ISI agent, Ansarul Mian Ansari, from a hotel in Delhi. According to intelligence sources, Ansari had entered India from Pakistan via Nepal at the behest of the ISI. He was reportedly preparing to return to Pakistan when he was nabbed.advertisementAnsari's arrest was the result of a highly classified joint operation led by central agencies and the Delhi Police Special Cell, conducted between January and March 2025. Sources said that during interrogation, Ansari disclosed critical information about ISI's extensive espionage network and revealed that he had been tasked with procuring and sending classified military documents to Pakistan.
A forensic analysis of the documents recovered from Ansari confirmed they were sensitive materials related to the Indian Armed Forces, officials said. The agencies also seized incriminating digital evidence.Sources added that Ansari met an ISI handler while working as a cab driver in Qatar. He was later taken to Pakistan, where he was reportedly brainwashed and trained by senior ISI operatives before being deployed to India.Following Ansari's confession, another suspect, Akhlaq Azam, was arrested from Ranchi. Azam is accused of assisting Ansari in transmitting sensitive information to Pakistan-based ISI officials. Sources said Azam played a key role in collecting and passing on Army documents.advertisementAccording to sources, the dismantling of the ISI cell in Delhi likely averted a devastating attack on Indian soil.Following the horrific Pahalgam attack, in which 26 civilians were gunned down by terrorists, security agencies have intensified their counter-terrorism efforts, targeting not only operatives in Jammu and Kashmir but also sleeper cells embedded in cities across India.In recent weeks, several such modules have been busted and sleeper agents and spies arrested as part of a 'pan-India sweep' aimed at neutralising Pakistan-backed terror threats.
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Business Standard
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The Wire
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UN Report Highlights Deep Contrasts Behind India's Population Numbers
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