‘Janbaaz, go to Pilibhit, take a flat there for the operation. Find out the best day and location to conduct a massive suicide attack on the Indian Army convoy passing through Bareilly, which has a huge presence of armed forces personnel through the year. There is an Indian Air Force station there and also a unit of the Indian Army,’ Babar said.

‘I will set out today,’ Janbaaz said.

Janbaaz and Sohrab left the flat immediately after collecting the cash from Babar.

‘Atharv, what’s happening? What is brewing in Abu-Lakhvi’s terror kitchen?’ Somaiya asked.

‘There are no fresh instructions about any operation,’ Atharv said.

‘There must be something?’

‘I have been asked to study the perimeter security of the Bharat Atomic Science Research Centre in Mumbai. I have done a recce of the site twice since last week.’

‘Okay, good, that’s something. Who will handle the operation?’

‘Al-Wali may ask me to handle it in case they like my report on the chinks in the security.’

‘What are they focusing on?’ Somaiya asked.

‘I have been asked to concentrate on the security layers around the residential accommodations of the scientists and staff inside the BASRC campus.’

‘Bastards!’ Somaiya exclaimed. ‘Tell them the security is tight.’

‘It is indeed watertight, and I have told them already.’

‘Good. Remain alert. Where is Babar?’

‘No idea.’

‘Based on the arrested fidayeen Rehmat Shah’s interrogations, we put the Clifton bungalow in Karachi under technical surveillance. The residents have been using mobile phones, landlines and also two satellite phones. One of them uses the satellite phone, specially to place calls to Kathmandu.

‘I believe that it is Abu-Lakhvi himself at the Karachi end and Babar at the Kathmandu end, and they are planning a big operation against the army in Bareilly. The weapons and fidayeen are coming from Abu Saqlain in Kashmir.’

‘This is valuable information, sir.’

‘Yes, but we need more details. Let me know if you hear anything.’ ?

‘Yes, sir.’

Somaiya hung up.

58. ATTACKING THE CRPF CITADEL

58

ATTACKING THE CRPF CITADEL

Fifteen days after Babar had tasked Sohrab and Janbaaz, he met them again on 25 December at the Lashkar safehouse in Kathmandu. The duo arrived on time. Babar served them tea and helped himself to a can of coke.

‘So, where are the weapons and our Pakistani fidayeen brothers, Sohrab?’ Babar asked, his head bent over his laptop.

‘The Pakistanis, Imran Ahmed and Mohammed Shabbir, are armed with two AK-47s and ten hand grenades. They are lodged at a flat we rented at Raju Paraspur in Bareilly. I brought the two fidayeen and the weapons smoothly from Kashmir three days ago. Saqlain sent his best wishes to you,’ Sohrab said.