India’s Home Minister Amit Shah has claimed that security forces arrested more than 200 members of an alleged Pakistan-backed militant network and foiled planned attacks ahead of the country’s Independence Day celebrations.
In a statement posted on his X account on Monday, Shah said Indian authorities had dismantled what he described as the “Shehzad Bhatti Network”, which he alleged was supported by Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
According to Shah, coordinated operations were carried out across 14 Indian states, resulting in the arrest of more than 200 suspected members of the network. He described the operation as an example of India’s “zero tolerance” policy towards terrorism.
The Indian minister further claimed that security forces recovered a large quantity of weapons and explosives during the raids, including grenades allegedly bearing markings of the Pakistan Ordnance Factories, as well as pistols, ammunition and CCTV cameras that he said were intended for surveillance and intelligence-gathering purposes.
Indian authorities have not publicly released detailed evidence supporting all of the allegations, and there has been no immediate response from Pakistan regarding Shah’s claims.
The arrests and allegations come amid continuing tensions between India and Pakistan, with both countries frequently accusing each other of supporting militant activities across their borders.