New Delhi, April 6 : A deliberate strategy to keep outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba quiet for the time being is being orchestrated by the ISI. A major push is being made to promote the Khalistani terror groups, with the targets being Punjab and Delhi, an official said.

Pakistan is busy on multiple fronts and wants to use outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba to battle against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).

An Intelligence Bureau official said that the ISI has activated its modules in various parts of the world. The instruction given to them is to step up arms smuggling into India, so that they can be used to carry out attacks, the official said.

The recent chatter picked up by the Intelligence agencies suggests that the arms smugglers, especially those associated with the Khalistan-backed gangsters, have become active.

Another official said that the ISI wants as many arms and ammunition to be smuggled into India, so that they can be used to carry out attacks. The Khalistani terror groups in particular have become extremely active, which in turn has mandated a probe by multiple agencies.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has learnt that a major plot has been hatched to carry out strikes in Punjab and Delhi. An official said that the attacks in Punjab were aimed at reviving the Khalistan movement. The attack in Delhi was to send out a strong message to the Central Government, which has been successful in keeping the Khalistan movement at bay.

There is a clear sign of desperation that can be seen among these ISI-backed terror groups. While Operation Sindoor dealt a deadly blow to terror infrastructure in Pakistan, the new national counterterrorism policy and strategy, called â??Prahaarâ??, has been a major dampener for these ISI-sponsored terror groups.

Another official said that Prahaar has been a successful strategy by the Union Government. Thanks to this, terror attacks, arms and ammunition smuggling, and other anti-national acts have come down drastically across the country, the official said. The ISI wants to counter this strategy and hence is pushing the Khalistani terror groups to indulge in something very big in the country. These elements have been carrying out reconnaissance at key spots in Punjab and Delhi with a view to carrying out a big strike.

Data provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) states that between 2004 and 2014, there were 7,217 terror incidents. However, thanks to the zero-tolerance policy against terror by the Narendra Modi government, the number of terror incidents has come down to 2,242 between 2014 and 2024. While Left-wing extremism has been wiped out, incidents of terror in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeastern states have also come down drastically, MHA data suggests.

With these elements finding it hard to penetrate Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeastern states, they are looking for other places to stage an attack. Officials say that the ISI has major plans and is looking to use the Khalistani terror groups, such as the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), to stage attacks in various parts of North India. The initial targets they have in mind are Punjab and New Delhi, following which they are planning to carry out attacks in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar, the Intelligence agencies have learnt.

The ongoing probe by the NIA is focused on the questioning of one Shubham Kumar, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, who was arrested by the State Special Operations Cell, Amritsar. The police had recovered an IED packed in a metallic case with a remote control, along with a foreign-made pistol and ammunition. The ammunition was dropped off from across the border using a drone.

This module is being run by one Jasvir Singh, who managed to send in the consignment from Pakistan, the agencies have learnt. Investigators say that Singh, whose real name is yet to be ascertained, was planning a major attack using the Khalistani-backed terror groups to strike in various parts of North India, which include Punjab and Delhi.

/IANS