Investigating agencies are intensifying their probe into potential sleeper cell involvement following the arrest of 19-year-old Abdul Rehman in Faridabad, suspected of terrorist activities. Rehman, a resident of Milkipur in Uttar Pradesh’s Faizabad district, was apprehended on Sunday in Pali village by a joint team of Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Haryana Police’s Special Task Force (STF). The focus has now shifted to uncovering a possible network of dormant operatives supporting his alleged plans.

Sources indicate that the Haryana STF suspects a sleeper cell may have provided Rehman with two hand grenades, recovered from an abandoned house near Pali village where he had hidden them. The grenades, along with incriminating videos found on two mobile phones in his possession, suggest coordination with a broader terror outfit. An STF official, speaking anonymously, hinted at Rehman’s possible links to Pakistan’s ISI, raising concerns about external backing for local cells.

Rehman reportedly arrived in Faridabad from Faizabad by train on Sunday, received the explosives from an unidentified handler, and was set to travel to Ayodhya on March 4 before his arrest. The STF is now working to identify local contacts, logistics support, and any sleeper cells that may have facilitated his movements. “The matter is sensitive, and the investigation is ongoing,” an official said, noting that Rehman claimed ignorance about his handler’s identity during interrogation.

While his parents deny any terror involvement, the probe into sleeper cells underscores growing concerns about undetected operatives in the region. Rehman’s past medical treatment in Ahmedabad is also being examined for potential connections. As the STF digs deeper, the sleeper cell angle could reveal a wider network, prompting heightened security measures across the National Capital Region.