Srinagar, April 26: Authorities in Kashmir have launched a massive crackdown on terrorists and their sympathisers in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, razing homes of the ultras, raiding their safe havens and detaining hundreds of overground workers for questioning, officials said on Saturday.
Houses of six terrorists or their associates have been demolished in the past 48 hours with officials saying similar action will be taken against others involved in terror activities.
Raids were carried out at more than 60 places on Saturday in Srinagar “to dismantle the terrorist ecosystem”, a J&K Police spokesman said.
In Anantnag district, search operations are being carried out round-the-clock as security forces step up vigilance. Mobile vehicle checkpoints have been put up across the district to monitor any suspicious movement, the officials said.
The security forces are going after the known terrorist associates and their sympathisers across the length and breadth of the Valley to create deterrence against any Pahalgam-like attacks, the officials said.
Terrorists on Tuesday opened fire in Baisaran, a popular tourist spot in the upper reaches of Pahalgam in Anantnag district, killing 26 people, mostly holidayers from other states — an incident that has spiked India-Pakistan tensions, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting that the killers would be pursued “to the ends of the earth.”
Mysterious blasts blew up the houses of two active terrorists — Aadil Thoker in the Bijbehara area of Anantnag district and Asif Sheikh — in the Tral area of Pulwama district after security forces raided the houses on Thursday night.
While Thoker has been named as one of the three terrorists involved in the gruesome killing of tourists in Pahalgam, Sheikh’s involvement in the attack has also not been ruled out, officials said.
Officials on Saturday said that four houses of the alleged terrorists were demolished in Pulwama, Shopian, Kupwara and Kulgam districts of south Kashmir on Friday night.
The houses belonged to Ahsan ul Haq (Pulwama) who was “trained in Pakistan” in 2018 and had recently “infiltrated” into the Valley; top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Shahid Ahmad Kuttay (Shopian) who was active for the past three to four years and been involved in many anti-national activities; and Zakir Ahmad Ganie (Kulgam), who has been active since 2023 and was under surveillance for his alleged involvement in multiple terror-related activities, the officials said.
The fourth house was blown up by security forces in Kalaroos area of Kupwara district in north Kashmir, they said. It belonged to Farooq Ahmad Tedwa and Miskeen Ahmad Tedwa, who are currently operating from Pakistan.
The security forces have also rounded up hundreds of overground workers (OWGs) and their supporters — mostly in four south Kashmir districts — in their bid to track down the terrorists who carried out the attack on Tuesday.
One alleged OWG was killed in firing by terrorists during one such operation in Bandipora district on Friday, officials said.
Altaf Lalli was killed when security forces took him to a terrorist hideout in the Kulnar area of Bandipora district after he pointed out the location of the ultras.
Two policemen were also injured in the firing by the terrorists, who managed to escape, the officials said.
On Saturday, the action shifted to Srinagar where raids were carried out at more than 60 places, including Safakadal, Soura, Pandach Bemina, Shalteng, Lal Bazar and Zadibal areas, they said. (PTI)
