SRINAGAR: In one of the largest coordinated crackdowns in recent months, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have detained around 1,500 individuals across the Valley over the past three days as part of what officials described as a “pre-emptive strike” to dismantle the terror support structure and prevent attempts to disrupt peace.
According to The Tribune, police teams launched extensive raids and cordon-and-search operations (CASOs) across all police zones since Saturday. “Around 1,500 people have been picked up during raids and CASOs across several districts,” a senior officer told the Chandigarh-based daily, adding that those detained include suspected overground workers (OGWs), sympathisers, and family members of militants believed to be operating from across the border.
Officials said the drive aims to neutralise individuals allegedly involved in sustaining or facilitating the “terror ecosystem” in Jammu and Kashmir. The operations are part of what police call “non-kinetic measures” designed to keep militants and their sympathisers under “constant pressure.”
Quoting senior police officials, The Indian Express reported that the move follows “credible inputs” suggesting a possible bid by militants to reorganise or disrupt peace in the region. “The aim is to keep militants and their sympathisers in check by keeping them under constant pressure. This has worked in the past as well,” the paper quoted an officer as saying.
The ongoing crackdown has been described by security sources as a “pre-emptive strike.” “There were inputs that militants would try to disrupt the peace, so it was necessary to dismantle their support network,” another official told The Indian Express.
Police officials said the operations are being carried out simultaneously in the north, south, and central Kashmir districts. In Baramulla, the police launched what they described as “a series of synchronised operations aimed at dismantling the terror support network and reinforcing public security.” Sixteen properties linked to Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir-based Kashmiri nationals were searched, leading to ten individuals being bound down under preventive laws. Thirty-two CASOs were carried out in different parts of the district, The Tribune reported.
In South Kashmir, police in Awantipora conducted similar operations at multiple locations, including the homes of recently killed militants and their associates. “The operations are part of sustained efforts to dismantle the terror ecosystem, identify and act against both active and inactive associates, and eliminate remaining support structures aiding terrorism,” the police said.
The crackdown has also extended to Anantnag, Shopian, and Pulwama districts. In Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, police carried out a search operation against the separatist network allegedly linked to Ghulam Nabi Fai, a native of Wadwan Budgam who is currently based in the United States. Several individuals were detained for questioning, according to The Tribune.
Meanwhile, the Sopore Police have moved court to cancel the bail of 11 individuals booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly violating bail conditions. “Similar actions are being initiated in other districts as well,” a police spokesperson said.
As part of the broader internal security measures, police have launched special inspections of SIM card vendors across districts, including Shopian, Pulwama, Anantnag, Sopore, Awantipora, and Handwara, to curb the misuse of communication networks.
The Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) wing of the J&K Police also conducted raids at multiple locations on Sunday, detaining nine suspects for questioning, The Tribune added.
In several districts, including Anantnag, police teams also examined digital devices and communication material to identify possible logistical links with militants. The Anantnag police said searches “concluded peacefully and no illicit or incriminating material was recovered,” according to The Indian Express.
“The operation was conducted in accordance with due legal procedures and under proper authorisation,” the police said in a statement quoted by The Indian Express. “JK Police reiterates its firm commitment to taking stern action against individuals or groups involved in activities detrimental to national security and public peace.”
The fresh crackdown, one of the most extensive since Article 370 was abrogated in 2019, comes at a time when security agencies have stepped up surveillance amid intelligence reports warning of efforts by Pakistan-based groups to revive dormant networks inside Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials say the ongoing operations are expected to continue in the coming days as agencies work to “choke all channels” of militant funding, recruitment, and logistical support.
