A 31‑year‑old attacker in Mira Road, on the outskirts of Mumbai, has been arrested after a knife‑wielding rampage in which he allegedly forced security guards to recite the Kalma (Islamic declaration of faith) before stabbing them. The incident, which police and media are describing as a “Pahalgam‑like” ideological attack, has triggered a probe by the Maharashtra Anti‑Terrorism Squad (ATS) into possible ISIS‑linked lone‑wolf radicalisation.
According to reports, the suspect, identified as Zaib/Zubair Ansari, approached two security guards—an under‑constuction site and asked about their religion and names. When they declined to recite the Kalma, he suddenly produced a knife and attacked them, inflicting severe injuries on one and leaving the other with relatively minor wounds. The guards, Rajkumar Mishra and Subroto Sen, were treated at a Mumbai hospital and are now in stable condition.
Investigations show that Ansari had been watching ISIS‑related propaganda material online and had previously studied in the United States before returning to live in Mira Road. He was working as a chemistry and mathematics teacher until a few months ago. Police recovered ideological material linked to ISIS and are examining whether he was acting independently or under any broader network. The ATS has now taken over the case to probe the terror angle and the “lone‑wolf” nature of the attack.
The episode has alarmed authorities and citizens alike, reminding of earlier ideologically driven killings in places like Pahalgam, where attackers similarly separated victims by religion and demanded recitation of the Kalma before murdering them. With Ansari’s swift arrest, investigators now face the challenge of understanding how online extremist content can translate into on‑ground, targeted violence against civilians, even in urban Maharashtra.
