Delhi Police, Maharashtra ATS foil ISIS-linked IED toy car
In a major counter-terrorism breakthrough, the Delhi Police Special Cell, in a joint operation with the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), has arrested two radicalised individuals allegedly linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Jadish-e-Mohammed (JM). The duo was planning a high-impact terror attack in the national capital using an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) concealed inside a ‘toy car’.
The arrested suspects have been identified as Mosab Ahmed, alias Kalama and Mohammad Hamad Karla. They were apprehended from Maharashtra’s Kalyan and Kurla West areas in the Mumbai metropolitan region.
According to police sources, the arrests were made following intelligence inputs about their suspicious activities and communications with handlers based overseas.
Delhi Police confirmed that the accused were in regular contact with a handler from Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the Pakistan-based terror outfit responsible for several major attacks in India, including the 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack. Preliminary investigations have also revealed their ideological alignment with ISIS, indicating a cross-linkage between the two global terror networks.
The joint raid was conducted by teams from the Delhi Police Special Cell and Maharashtra ATS. Sources said the operation was swift and intelligence-driven, aimed at neutralising a potential threat before the suspects could execute their plan. “The duo was learning to assemble IEDs and was specifically exploring the use of a bomb hidden in a toy car for an attack in Delhi,” a senior Delhi Police officer said.
Investigators believe the suspects intended to use a remotely controlled toy car rigged with explosives as a low-profile but lethal delivery mechanism. Such tactics have been experimented with by terror modules in the past, as they allow the device to blend into crowded public spaces, markets, or near high-security areas without raising immediate suspicion. Police suspect the target was Delhi, with possible plans extending to Mumbai as well. The exact target locations and timelines are still under investigation, the officer added.
No explosives or finished devices have been publicly confirmed as recovered yet but the focus of the probe is on digital evidence, including chat logs, financial transactions, and any training material accessed by the accused.
Mosab Ahmed, alias Kalam and Mohammad Hamad Kalra were operating out of the Mumbai suburbs. Police have described them as “radicalised youths” who were reportedly influenced by online propaganda from ISIS and directed by a JeM handler.
Their arrest has come amid heightened alertness by Indian security agencies regarding hybrid terror modules that draw inspiration and logistical support from multiple outfits like ISIS and JeM.
Such networks often recruit locally, provide remote training via encrypted apps, and aim for “low-cost, high-impact” attacks.
JeM, founded by Masood Azhar, has a long history of targeting India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir and other cities in India.
ISIS, though territorially defeated in Syria and Iraq, continues to inspire lone-wolf or small-cell attacks globally through its internet-run propaganda machinery.
The Delhi Police Special Cell has a strong track record in busting similar modules in recent years. This operation highlights the growing coordination between central and State agencies in tackling cross-border terrorism.
Senior Police officials have emphasised that the plot was nipped in the bud, preventing a potential tragedy similar to past urban terror incidents. The case is likely to be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a comprehensive probe into the wider terror network, including possible foreign linkages and funding trails.
