MUZAFFARABAD — Authorities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) announced the arrest of five individuals late Thursday, claiming the group was operating a sleeper cell for India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Police recovered a cache of weapons and explosives during the raid, which officials say thwarted a potential series of targeted attacks in the region.
The operation, conducted by Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) units in coordination with local intelligence, targeted a residential compound on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad. According to a senior police official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the suspects had been under surveillance for three weeks after intelligence reports linked them to cross-border communication channels.
“We found more than just sidearms,” the official said. “The recovery included IED components and encrypted satellite devices. These weren’t just local agitators; they were equipped for sustained sabotage.”
The arrests come amid heightened security protocols across the Line of Control (LoC). For months, military and civilian leadership in Islamabad have accused Indian intelligence agencies of orchestrating unrest within AJK to destabilize the region. While New Delhi has consistently denied these allegations, the seizure of this specific hardware—much of it reportedly foreign-manufactured—has provided local authorities with the evidence they say they need to link the cell to external handlers.
The five suspects, whose identities have not yet been released to the public, are currently being held at an undisclosed facility. Interrogators are now working to trace the group’s financial trail, specifically looking for digital currency transactions that police suspect were used to fund their local activities.
This raid marks the second time in six months that security forces in AJK have claimed to dismantle an organized intelligence network. While the local administration is framing the arrests as a major victory for regional stability, the incident underscores the fragile security environment in the territory.
