New Delhi, March 9 (NationPress) The recent dismantling of the Faridabad module alongside a foiled terror scheme targeting temples indicates that both Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba are intensifying their domestic operations.

According to officials from the Special Cell of the Delhi police, Lashkar-e-Taiba is actively seeking out illegal immigrants residing in South India to carry out assaults in North India.

There has been a notable increase in activity, particularly near the Bengali settlements in Kerala, where Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives are looking for individuals willing to engage in terror attacks, officials report.

Similar operations have also been observed in Tamil Nadu. Recently, the Special Cell, in collaboration with local law enforcement, apprehended six Bangladeshi nationals in Tamil Nadu. Investigations suggested a broader scheme where Lashkar-e-Taiba intended to utilize these individuals to target temples in and around Delhi.

An official from the Intelligence Bureau stated that to facilitate these operations, Lashkar-e-Taiba is enlisting the assistance of touts who smuggle illegal immigrants into India. These touts not only transport individuals but also provide them with essential documents like Aadhaar Cards and Voter IDs. The method employed by these touts, which includes mobilizing these individuals to vote during elections in West Bengal and the Northeastern states, is now being repurposed to recruit them for terrorist activities.

It was revealed that the touts offer these individuals valid identification on the condition that they participate in elections. Failure to comply results in them being tracked and promptly deported back to either Bangladesh or Myanmar. This same strategy is being utilized to draw them into organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The uptick in recruitment efforts coincides with warnings from the Intelligence Bureau that Lashkar-e-Taiba may target the upcoming elections in West Bengal and Assam. These terrorist organizations aim to exploit the fact that security forces will be preoccupied with election duties, creating opportunities for potential attacks.

Another official clarified that Lashkar-e-Taiba is strategically avoiding the recruitment of illegal immigrants already established in various regions of Northeast India and West Bengal. The preference for recruits from the South stems from the fact that they are less likely to be recognized as part of operations in Northeast India and West Bengal.

Furthermore, these illegal immigrants are either coerced or offered substantial payments to participate in these operations. Lashkar-e-Taiba assures them that upon executing a terror attack, they will receive a significant reward and guaranteed safe passage back to Bangladesh or Myanmar.

Investigations have shown that while the recruits are illegal immigrants from South India, the operations are managed by individuals based in Jammu and Kashmir. Special Cell officers discovered that Shabbir Ahmed Lone, a resident of Ganderbal in Kashmir, has been assigned to oversee terror strikes in North India, Northeast India, and West Bengal. Currently based in Bangladesh, Lone was apprehended in 2007 with AK-47s and grenades but was released in 2019 and subsequently fled to Bangladesh at Lashkar-e-Taiba's direction.

Over the past year, Lone has developed a network and has even conducted dry runs for terror attacks in both Delhi and Kolkata. Indian agencies are collaborating closely with their Bangladeshi counterparts to apprehend Lone and facilitate his extradition to India, as disclosed by another official.