Maximum seizure of AK series guns in '25

Recovery of detonators jumped from 220 in 2024 to 804 last year, indicating increasing use of IEDs by terrorists

- MUKESH RANJAN @ New Delhi

EVEN as 2025 witnessed two deadly terror attacks in Pahalgam , J&K and Red Fort in Delhi - the year also saw the highest number of arms, ammunition, IEDs and explosive seizures in the country.

Government data shows that AK-series weapon recoveries, a key firearm used by militants, increased more than threefold in 2025. After remaining in low double digits for several years, AK-series seizures rose from 13 in 2024 to 40 in 2025, the highest recovery since 2020, pointing towards renewed attempts by terror modules to create troubles with military-grade assault rifles in the country, official sources said.

The Border Security Force (BSF), which guards India's borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, has compiled the data and shared it with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), sources said, adding that the trend showed that the country's adversaries have continuously been planning to push arms and have been making concerted efforts to create warlike arms store.