Over 100 people from the Valley have been picked up for questioning after the Jammu and Kashmir Police conducted raids across the region as part of an operation to dismantle militants’ support network, officials said.
The raids on scores of houses in both the Kashmir Valley and the Jammu province took place over the last two days, sources said on Sunday. They targeted people accused of being militant “sympathisers”, relatives of militants operating from Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and former overground workers of militant groups, police said.
In Jammu province’s Kathua district, two Special Police Officers (SPOs) were dismissed from service. According to sources, both were accused of assisting militants and had been arrested last year. Raids were also carried out in Jammu’s Ramban, Doda and Rajouri districts, too.
In Kishtwar district, police conducted inspections at SIM card vendors, with officials saying they were checking the supply of SIM cards to anti-national elements.
In south Kashmir’s Anantnag, police raided the houses of Pakistan-based militants, including Ghulam Nabi Khan alias Amir Khan, a top commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen.
“Acting on credible intelligence inputs, police, assisted by security agencies, conducted coordinated cordon and search operations in various locations suspected to be used by OGWs and JKNOPs for sheltering and aiding terrorist elements,” police said in an official statement.
“The operation was aimed at disrupting the terror support infrastructure that includes networks involved in providing logistical, financial and ideological assistance to active terrorists and their cross-border handlers,” the statement said.
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Police sources said the renewed operations were launched to prevent the regrouping of militants and to foil any attempt by them to disrupt the peace.
“These are pre-emptive raids to keep the militants and their sympathisers under pressure and under check,” said an officer, adding, “By dismantling their support network in the Valley, we are hitting at their foundations.”
On the people picked up during the raids, an officer said, “They have been picked up for questioning and include people who have some past militant record or have been their sympathisers.”
“Those raided and detained also include the families and relatives of militants presently based in Pakistan. They also included people who have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and are currently out on bail,” the officer said.
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Police said that during the operation, they searched for incriminating materials, digital devices, and other items used to provide logistical or other support to militants. The Anantnag police said the “searches concluded peacefully and no illicit or incriminating material was recovered”.
“The operation was conducted in accordance with due legal procedures and under proper authorisation,” police said, adding, “J&K Police reiterates its firm commitment to taking stern action against individuals or groups involved in activities detrimental to national security and public peace.”
