Two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered in separate incidents in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, 20th February, even as security agencies issued a high alert over a possible terror plot targeting Delhi.
In Punjab, a suspicious bag was spotted near the Rayya police post in Amritsar. Police immediately informed the bomb disposal squad, which examined the bag and confirmed that it contained an IED. The device was later safely defused as per standard protocol. Senior Superintendent of Police Sohail Qasim Mir said the situation was brought under control quickly and there was no damage.
On the same day, another IED was found in the Safapora area of Ganderbal district in Kashmir. The bomb detection squad of the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police located the device and defused it within hours. This is the third IED detected in North Kashmir in the past week. Earlier, similar devices were recovered from Tangmarg Road and Baramulla.
A suspicious object found near stone crusher under Safapora Police Station limits in Ganderbal district, J&K. The alternative road Bandipora-Srinagar has been blocked as a precautionary measure. Security forces are on the job. More details awaited.
— WION (@WIONews) February 21, 2026
(Source: ANI) pic.twitter.com/ioRieqnvst
Lashkar plot warning for Old Delhi
The recoveries come amid intelligence warnings of a possible terror attack in old Delhi near Chandni Chowk by Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Although there is no direct connection confirmed yet between the IEDs recovered in Punjab and Kashmir and the Delhi alert, the timing is a cause for concern.
🚨Breaking News: Security alert at Red Fort and Chandni Chowk, Pakistan's LeT may be planning blast in nearby temples, say intelligence sources pic.twitter.com/UCl8swocey
— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) February 21, 2026
According to sources, the terror group, led by Hafiz Saeed, may be planning to avenge the 6th February suicide blast at a mosque in Islamabad, which killed over 30 people. The Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the attack.
Intelligence inputs have revealed that religious and tourist spots in Delhi could be the target of a possible terror attack. A temple in the Chandni Chowk area and spots around the Red Fort are believed to be on the target list. Security has been tightened around major temples, markets and other sensitive spots across the national capital following the alert.
