India says it thwarted attacks by Pakistan-backed militants, arrested over 200 operatives

MUMBAI, Aug 17 (Reuters) - ‌Indian security agencies ​arrested ​more than 200 "terror operatives" linked to Pakistan, thwarting potential "subversive attacks" around the country's Independence ‌Day last week, Home Minister Amit Shah said on ⁠Monday, in one of the largest such crackdowns in years.

• ‌A multi-state operation against what ‌Shah said was a terror group backed by Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was carried out across ​14 Indian states on August 12, three days before India celebrated its 80th year of freedom ⁠from British colonial rule.

• Pakistan's foreign affairs ministry said it "strongly" rejects the allegations ​made by Shah, and called them "propaganda".

• Pakistan also has in the past denied allegations that ​it backs militant groups blamed ‌for attacks in India.

• "Modi government destroyed the ISI-backed terror group Shahzad Bhatti Network ahead of ⁠Independence Day and thwarted its plans for subversive attacks by arresting more than 200 operatives," Shah said in a post ⁠on X.

• Shah said agencies had recovered pistols, live cartridges, grenades ​bearing Pakistan Ordnance Factory markings and crude bombs.

• India and Pakistan both claim that the other fosters and abets terrorism in ‌their country.

• The nuclear-armed neighbours were involved in a four-day military conflict last year ‌after India blamed Pakistani attackers for the killing of ⁠26 men at a ‌tourist destination in Indian ​Kashmir.

(Writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Additional reporting by Akanksha Khushi; Editing by YP Rajesh and Chizu ‌Nomiyama)

---

Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!

---

You May Also Be Interested In

• Stocks, bonds rally after August inflation report
• US declares end of largest recorded cyclosporiasis outbreak
• President Trump's Republican convention speech draws 2.5 million viewers on Fox News