Ahead of Independence Day celebrations, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and security forces have searched over three dozen houses belonging to militants, who are presently in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, or overground workers (OGW) of terrorist groups, sources said.
Police sources said that in a major clampdown in Kishtwar district on Saturday, multiple police teams simultaneously conducted raids at 26 houses of terrorists including that of a Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Mohammad Amin Bhat, alias Jehangir Saroori — one of the longest surviving terrorists in J-K.
Saroori had joined Hizbul Mujahideen in the 1990s.
Others whose houses were searched included terrorists who were operating from across the border and smuggling arms and ammunition into Jammu and Kashmir, sources said.
The raids in Kishtwar came a day after similar searches were conducted jointly by the police and security forces at various places in adjoining Doda district on Friday.
Sources said that the searches were held in connection with the ongoing investigations into cross-border terror networks carrying out activities aimed at disturbing the peace in the Chenab Valley region.
The raids are part of an intensified surveillance operation to detect and dismantle any sleeper cells or support networks aiding terrorist activities in the Chenab Valley region, they said.
However, there have been no reports of any arrest or seizures.
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Those whose residential premises were searched include Talib Hussain alias Farhad Mochi and Reham Ali, both residents of Gandoh, besides Zakir Hussain of Darena Bhalla. All three were said to be in Pakistan.
The other three were alleged to be OGWs.
