NEW DELHI: The Indian Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Delhi Police’s special cell detained 12 Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) members from Delhi and Deoband in Uttar Pradesh, Indian media reported, citing police sources.

Details regarding the identities of the men have not been released, although The Hindustan Times reported two of those detained were identified as Mazahir and Tahir, and that of the 12, three are likely to be arrested.

Senior police officials told the Times of India that they were certain about the involvement of at least five suspects, while the remaining were detained for suspected involvement on the basis of association.

Bomb-making materials and Improved Explosive Devices were recovered from the men, Indian media cited police officials as saying. The suspects are being interrogated at the special cell's headquarters in the Indian capital.

The Delhi police special cell registered a First-Information Report against the suspects under the Unlawful Activities and Prevention Act and the Explosives Act for their alleged Jaish ties and 'criminal conspiracy'.

India maintains members of JeM were responsible for the Pathankot air base attack earlier this year, although Pakistani investigators earlier found no evidence implicating Jaish leader Masood Azhar in the attack.

Following the Pathankot attack Pakistani authorities cracked down on the group, sealing a Jaish-run seminary in Sialkot and taking group leader Masood Azhar into protective custody.

An FIR was registered in Gujranwala by the Counter-Terrorism Department of the Punjab police against attackers and abettors of the Pathankot airbase attack in February and a Joint Investigation Team was sent to India to probe the attack.

An Indian parliamentary committee recently investigating the Pathankot terror attack said there was “something seriously wrong with our [Indian] counter-terror security establishment” and suggested that Pathankot airbase’s security cover was not robust and had a poorly guarded perimeter wall.

Had the central government been serious and the intelligence agencies had functioned properly, the picture would have been entirely different, the panel said in the report presented to parliament on Tuesday.