The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has uncovered a major terror conspiracy involving Bilal Khan, an operative linked to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), who was allegedly acting under the direction of Pakistani handlers to spread extremist propaganda and orchestrate attacks against India’s constitutional system.
Bilal Khan, who was arrested in Saharanpur in September, is believed to have been in contact with nearly 4,000 Pakistani phone numbers, investigators revealed. According to the ATS, he was in constant communication with his handlers across the border and was receiving instructions to strengthen Al-Qaeda’s influence in India through online radicalisation and recruitment.
Officials said Bilal had been ideologically indoctrinated by Asim Umar Sambhali, the first chief of AQIS and a native of Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. Asim Umar, appointed by Al-Qaeda founders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, was killed in a US-Afghan operation in 2019. Inspired by Umar’s ideology, Bilal actively used social media to glorify violent jihad and promote martyrdom, sharing extremist content to attract followers among vulnerable youth.
Investigations found that Bilal leveraged multiple social media platforms to establish a web of connections with Pakistani nationals and Indian sympathisers. Through these networks, he disseminated anti-India propaganda, incited hatred against state institutions, and attempted to mobilise support for replacing India’s democratic framework with a Sharia-based system through violence.
Following the recent Pahalgam terror attack, Bilal posted inflammatory comments online, referring to slain militants as “martyrs,” abusing Indian security forces, and sharing pro-Pakistan videos demanding Kashmir’s separation from India. The ATS also confirmed that Bilal had formally pledged allegiance to an AQIS handler in Pakistan, underscoring his active involvement in the terrorist outfit’s operations.
Authorities said his activities were part of a broader digital strategy by AQIS to radicalise Indian youth remotely. The ATS is now interrogating Bilal to trace his local and international associates, uncover additional sleeper cells, and identify funding or logistical support networks linked to Pakistan-based terrorist organisations.
Officials described the discovery as a serious reminder of Al-Qaeda’s continuing attempts to exploit online platforms for recruitment and indoctrination in India, while reaffirming that counter-terror agencies remain on high alert to dismantle such extremist ecosystems.
