New Delhi: In a significant counterterrorism success, the Delhi Police Special Cell busted an ISIS-inspired module. It apprehended two operatives who were allegedly conspiring to carry out a massive suicide attack in the national capital. The arrests were carried out after coordinated raids in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh on the eve of Diwali, averting what officials have called a “catastrophic terror strike.”
According to senior officials, one of the accused, identified as Adnan Khan alias Abu Mohammad (21), was arrested from Bhopal’s Karond area, while his associate Adnan alias Abu Muharif (22) was apprehended from Delhi’s Sadiq Nagar. Both suspects were said to have been in the last stages of plotting an IED explosion in public places of Delhi and had been trained in fidayeen (suicide) missions under the influence of the proscribed terrorist group ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria).
According to Additional Commissioner of Police (CP) Special Cell Pramod Kushwaha, both accused identified as Adnan and Adnan were in contact with a foreign handler suspected to be operating from the Syria-Turkey border. The duo had conducted reconnaissance of several crowded locations, including a prominent mall in South Delhi, and were reportedly preparing for an attack around Deepawali.
#WATCH | Delhi Police Special Cell busts an ISIS module with the arrest of two suspected terrorists
Additional CP, Special Cell, Pramod Kumar Kushwaha says, " Two people, including 20-year-old Adnan Khan alias Abu Muharib from Delhi and 21-year-old Adnan Khan from Bhopal, who… pic.twitter.com/7zMqCgi0H3
— ANI (@ANI) October 24, 2025
The Bhopal Connection: A CA Aspirant Becomes
Inquiries told that the Bhopal-based suspect, Adnan Khan, was studying for his Chartered Accountancy (CA) exams and resided with his family, who had just shifted from Ashoka Garden to the Karond area. Delhi Police told that Adnan used to remain active on ISIS-exclusive WhatsApp groups and kept in regular touch with his Delhi-based partner through encrypted social media platforms.
Sources said Adnan had been under the radar of Madhya Pradesh’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for some time due to his online activities. The Special Cell moved swiftly after retrieving crucial data from his Delhi counterpart’s social media accounts, which revealed Adnan’s location and their joint plan to carry out simultaneous attacks in the capital.
A Plot to Strike Delhi’s Crowded Areas
The two men, the officials said, had pinpointed dense public areas in Delhi as viable targets for an IED blast. They were both purported to have been radicalised by online propaganda and were receiving training from remote ISIS handlers.
“Their intention was to use IEDs in public places to inflict maximum casualties and fear. The operation was in its last stages,” a senior officer with the Special Cell said. “Preliminary interrogation indicates they were in touch with foreign-based handlers who were guiding them on operational strategies and bomb-making techniques.”
This operation comes on the heels of the September 2025 crackdown on another key ISIS-suspect terror module, where five Delhi, Jharkhand, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh operatives were arrested by the Special Cell. The arrested individuals — Ashar Danish (23), Aftab Qureshi (25), Sufiyan Abubakar Khan (20), Mohammed Huzaifa Yaman (20), and Kamran Qureshi (26) were reportedly part of a module known as “Project Mustafa.”
Its purported mastermind, Ashar Danish, referred to himself as “Ghazwa Leader and CEO,” and employed secret social media sites to radicalize and recruit youth in the name of operating an NGO. As per officials, this group was looking to create terror hubs all over India, and the recent arrests are thought to be part of that chain.
Police sources indicate that both Adnans were operators on Telegram and WhatsApp groups associated with ISIS, where operational guidelines and extremist ideology were disseminated. They reportedly used encrypted websites to avoid being monitored and attracted vulnerable youth by playing on religious emotions.
Madhya Pradesh’s Terror Footprint
It is not the first time that Madhya Pradesh has been associated with terror groups. Bhopal and sections of the Malwa region have seen arrests related to banned groups like SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India) and ISIS-inspired cells in the past. The state’s geographical location and increasing digital penetration have turned it into a recruiting ground for extremist groups.
During the operation, the police recovered a laptop, several pen drives, incriminating videos, ISIS propaganda material, and a flag. Investigators also seized electronic components and a wristwatch, which were suspected to be used in the process of making an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
They also recovered incriminating material including a video of vow of allegiance for ISIS. One of the accused, Adnan, was earlier arrested by the Uttar Pradesh ATS in June 2024 for issuing threats on social media to kill the person who ordered a survey. He was reportedly handling online propaganda and media-related work for the terror group. The second Adnan, whose father is a government employee, was apprehended from Sadik Nagar on October 16.
ISIS module busted | Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested two suspected terrorists linked to ISIS. One of them is a resident of Delhi, while the other hails from Madhya Pradesh.
Initial probe reveals that high-footfall areas in Delhi were on their target. Further investigation…
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) October 24, 2025
Preliminary investigation revealed that both were using multiple Instagram accounts to circulate extremist content and to stay in touch with their foreign handlers. The Special Cell had been monitoring the suspects for several months, with parallel leads developed in Delhi and Bhopal’s Karond area.
The operation was executed by a team led by Inspector Sunil and Inspector Dhiraj, under the supervision of senior officers of the Special Cell.
Further investigation is underway to identify other associates and trace the exact communication network of their foreign handler.
