Amid a crackdown on an alleged “militant support network” over the past week, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday conducted raids across four police districts, particularly targeted at the Jammat-e-Islami (JeI), which remains banned since 2019.
In a statement, police said that over 200 locations in Kulgam were raided Wednesday, while 400 cordon and search operations have been carried out in the last four days in the South Kashmir district.
The sweep comes against the backdrop of the busting of an alleged terror module in Faridabad and Saharanpur whose members were from the Valley, and the Red Fort blast, which is suspected to have been carried out by Pulwama resident Dr Umar Nabi. Officials, however, did not draw a link between that and the current raids.
“The raids were carried out at the houses and premises of JeI members and their associates, as part of sustained efforts to dismantle the terror ecosystem and its support structure at the grassroots level,” police said.
After these raids, 500 individuals from Kulgam affiliated with JKNOPs and “other banned outfits” were interrogated, and many have been moved to District Jail Mattan in Anantnag under preventive laws.
In Sopore, district-wide counter–terror raids were conducted early Wednesday at over 30 locations, citing the presence of “separatist ecosystem”. Sopore police said that several individuals are being questioned to ascertain their involvement in unlawful activities.
Multiple locations in Ganderbal and Awantipora were also raided as part of the police action against the Jamaat-e-Islami.
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J&K police claim to have recovered “a large quantity of incriminating materials, including documents, digital devices, and printed content having direct links with the banned outfit”. These have been seized for detailed analysis, while several suspects have been detained for questioning to ascertain their role in unlawful and subversive activities.
These operations have been termed a “crucial part” of J&K Police’s sustained preventive strategy aimed at dismantling the terror–separatist ecosystem, cutting off its ideological, financial, and logistical networks, and ensuring that peace and normalcy remain undisturbed in these areas.
Over the past week, more than 1,500 people have been picked up for questioning in the Valley.
Sources told The Indian Express earlier that the operation is a “pre-emptive strike, following some credible inputs”, and is aimed at preventing the “re-organisation” of militants.