MIDNIGHT STRIKE!! Terrorist with ISI Links Nabbed in UP-Punjab Joint Operation

In a significant counter-terrorism breakthrough, Uttar Pradesh’s Special Task Force (STF) and Punjab Police arrested Lajar Masih, an active member of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), in Kaushambi district early Thursday. The operation, conducted around 3:20 a.m. in the Kokhraj police station area, targeted Masih, a resident of Kurlian village, Amritsar, Punjab, who had escaped judicial custody in Punjab on September 24, 2024.

Authorities allege Masih was linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and operated under Swarn Singh, alias Jeevan Fauji, who heads BKI’s Germany-based module. The arrest follows a surge in BKI-related activities, including recent attacks in Punjab’s Batala and Amritsar, which police attribute to ISI-backed terror modules.

Additional Director General of Police (UP STF) Amitabh Yash confirmed the recovery of a dangerous arsenal from Masih, including three live hand grenades, two detonators, a foreign-made pistol, 13 cartridges, explosive powder, an Aadhaar card with a Ghaziabad address, and a SIM-less mobile phone.

Addressing a press conference here, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar said Masih had planned a major terrorist attack during the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. "However, due to intensive security checks at the religious gathering, he failed to execute his plan," he said.

BKI, a Khalistani militant group formed in 1978, has a history of violence, including the 1985 Air India bombing. Its current operations, often supported by Pakistan and diaspora networks, aim to revive separatism in Punjab. This arrest underscores India’s ongoing efforts to dismantle such networks. Investigations continue to unravel Masih’s plans and connections, with security forces on high alert amid rising terror threats.