Chandigarh:
Intelligence agencies have sounded a high alert in Punjab over a suspected plan by the Shahzad Bhatti network to target military installations in Amritsar, with a sensitive intelligence input naming two Pakistan-based operatives and warning of a possible attack on an Army establishment in the district.
The input, shared with Punjab Police and other security agencies, names two alleged Pakistan-based operatives, identified as Rana Bhai and Malik. It claims that reconnaissance of Khasa Cantonment in Amritsar and the Budha Theh military establishment near Beas has already been carried out.
Security agencies have been asked to treat the input with utmost seriousness and step up security around the sensitive installations.
Also Read: How Pak-Backed Handler Shahzad Bhatti Built Online Terror Network
The alert assumes added significance because Khasa Cantonment witnessed a blast just months ago. On May 5, a low-intensity explosion took place near the cantonment’s boundary wall. Punjab Police later said an IED had been used in the blast, damaging a tin sheet along the perimeter.
Investigators had suspected that the explosion was part of a planned attack. However, no link has been established between that incident and the latest intelligence input concerning the Shahzad Bhatti network.
The latest alert comes amid growing concern among security agencies over Pakistan-based terror-gangster networks attempting to establish operational footprints in Punjab. Agencies have been tracking the alleged use of local recruits, facilitators and criminal networks for attacks, weapons movement and targeted violence.
Shahzad Bhatti is a Pakistan-based gangster who has increasingly figured in Indian investigations into alleged cross-border terror and organised crime. Indian agencies have alleged that Bhatti operates from Pakistan and directs activities in India through a network of associates and operatives.
Also Read: 3 Arrested In Assam Over Links To ISI-Backed Sleeper Cell Network
The National Investigation Agency has been probing multiple cases involving the Bhatti network. The agency has also conducted searches in Punjab and Haryana in connection with Pakistan-based terror cases allegedly linked to Bhatti. His name has surfaced in investigations involving attacks, recruitment and the movement of arms and explosives into Punjab.
For Punjab’s security agencies, the latest input is particularly significant because it specifically identifies military establishments as potential targets and claims that reconnaissance has already been conducted. The naming of Rana Bhai and Malik as alleged operatives has added another dimension to the threat assessment.
Security agencies are expected to intensify surveillance around Khasa Cantonment, Budha Theh and other sensitive military locations in the Amritsar belt while attempting to verify the intelligence and identify the individuals allegedly involved.
The input is being treated as a serious preventive alert. However, it does not by itself establish that an attack is imminent.
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