Delhi blast: Crackdown against Jamaat-e-Islami cadres in Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir Police and other security forces said on Wednesday that massive crackdowns have been carried out against the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) cadres in the Valley in the aftermath of the Delhi terror blast in which eight people were killed and many others injured.

The intelligence agencies attribute the Delhi blast to the panic of Dr Mohd Umar driving the i20 car rather than a suicidal attack.

But the fact that Dr Umar was on the run after his colleagues involved in white collar terrorism were arrested indicates that the module intended to carry out a major terrorist strike.

Police said on Wednesday that in a massive crackdown against the banned JeI organisation, police in Kulgam district carried out coordinated raids at more than 200 locations across the district.

These searches were conducted at the houses and premises of JeI members and their associates as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle networks supporting terrorism and to neutralise their ground-level influence.

Police said that during the past four days alone, more than 400 Cordon and Search Operations (CASOs) have been conducted across different areas of the district, including locations previously associated with encounters, militant hideouts, and Over Ground Workers (OGWs).

In another major coordinated operation, Sopore Police carried out a series of search operations across multiple locations in the district of Sopore, targeting individuals and premises linked to the JeI, which had been banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Police said in the district-wide counter terror and separatist ecosystem action, simultaneous raids were conducted at over 25 locations across Sopore, Zaingeer, and Rafiabad areas with the assistance of other security forces.

The searches were based on credible intelligence inputs indicating attempts by JeI-linked elements to revive their activities under different fronts.

“During the operations, a significant quantity of incriminating material, including documents, digital gadgets, and printed content with links to the banned organisation, was recovered and seized for detailed scrutiny. Several individuals are being questioned to ascertain their involvement in unlawful activities,” police said.

Police in Anantnag district said that around 500 individuals with links to banned organisations, including JeI and relatives of JKNOPs (J&K natives operating from Pakistan), have been interrogated so far. Many of them have reportedly been moved to the District Jail Mattan in Anantnag under preventive detention laws.

During the raids, police seized incriminating documents, digital devices, and other materials of evidentiary value. Several JeI members were also questioned to trace wider networks allegedly aiding terrorists.

In the Shopian district, police carried out searches at multiple locations, targeting the residences of JeI activists. Police said the houses of Dr Hameed Fayaz at Naidgam and Mohammad Yousuf Falahie at Chitragam, among others, were searched during the operation.

The searches were conducted as part of ongoing investigations in the area.