New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday announced that the Modi government had destroyed the ISI-backed Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) ahead of Independence Day, thwarting its plans for subversive attacks.
In a post on X, Shah said Indian security forces arrested more than 200 operatives by launching coordinated operations across multiple locations in 14 states, describing it as a brilliant example of India’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism.
Shah added that substantial recoveries were made from the ISI-funded group, including IEDs, grenades bearing Pakistan Ordnance Factory markings, pistols, live cartridges, and CCTV cameras used for espionage.
Security agencies had carried out the major multi-state crackdown as part of the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards cross-border terrorism, according to an official statement. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Shah, security forces detained 253 people across 14 states, with more than 80 FIRs and over 200 arrests recorded against the network.
The SBN is a Pakistan-based, ISI-backed terror syndicate linked to grenade, IED and petrol bomb attacks, as well as targeted killings across India. Investigators found that the network had been paying local conduits to conduct reconnaissance of police, defence and religious sites, and to install CCTV cameras for espionage purposes.
To counter SBN-linked disruptions planned around Independence Day, security agencies carried out a coordinated multi-state operation on August 12, using a real-time intelligence-sharing system in collaboration with state police forces.
The operation led to 253 detentions across 14 states. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number with 62 detentions, followed by Haryana (52), Delhi (51), Punjab (44) and Rajasthan (15). Maharashtra reported 8 detentions, while Uttarakhand recorded 5.
Karnataka, Gujarat and Bihar each reported 3 detentions, and Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Kerala each recorded 2. Fresh FIRs were registered in Delhi and Karnataka as part of the operation.
Cumulatively, more than 80 FIRs and over 200 arrests have been recorded against the SBN under the UAPA, BNS, the Arms Act, the NDPS Act and the Explosive Substances Act. Officials said the recoveries confirmed the network’s direct cross-border links.
Security agencies reaffirmed the government of India’s zero-tolerance stance on cross-border terrorism and said coordinated action to dismantle SBN’s networks would continue nationwide.
