Multiple raids were carried out in the Kashmir Valley on August 1 by the Jammu and Kashmir Police to trace those involved in recruiting locals into militancy. The property of an “active militant” was also attached in north Kashmir’s Kupwara.
The sleuths of Counter Insurgency-Kashmir (CIK), a special cell of the J&K Police, carried out searches in Ganistan and Zoonipora in Bandipora district; Daangarpora in Srinagar; Dachipora in Shopian; Kanelwan, Bijbehara, Sail, Bargam in Awantipora; and Drabgam, Ayengund and Karimabad in Pulwama.
A police spokesperson said incriminating material, including mobile phones along with SIMs, electronic gadgets and other articles, having bearing on the investigation, have been recovered and seized.
“A number of suspects have also been detained during the raid. Analysis of the data would follow and leads that would emerge during questioning of the suspects would become the basis for further investigation,” the police said.
The police said the raids were related to proscribed terrorist organisations operating within J&K and across the Line of Control (LoC), and on the behest of adversary agencies. “They, under a well-knit criminal conspiracy hatched with their overground workers, supporters, facilitators and sympathisers in the Kashmir Valley, are continuously in the process of creating new terror modules by misusing social media applications,” the police said.
“Investigation revealed that one Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) module is operating in Kashmir. The main conspirator of this module has been identified as Musadiq alias Adnan alias ‘Doctor’ based at Shakargrah, Pakistan. Other Pakistan-based associates include Abdul Rehman, Riyaz, Umar alias Faizan alias Jigar, and Waseem Noor,” the police said.
“The module has its offshoots spread across J&K. It was using various social media applications to create and upload criminal and malicious content laced with terrorist-secessionist tinge in order to motivate and radicalise the youths of Kashmir to join the terrorist ranks of JeM, with the intention to further its terrorist activities,” the police said.
“These elements, through social media handles, promote feelings of enmity and disharmony among different religious and regional groups, and are provoking and inciting youth to indulge in large-scale violence, and disturbance, and are causing disaffection and hatred among the public against the Union of India,” the police said.
Meanwhile, the J&K Police’s Special Investigation Unit attached the property of a militant operating from Pakistan in Kupwara district.
“A land measuring six kanals and three marlas belonging to Adul Rashid Qureshi alias Farooq Qureshi, a resident of Kachama, Kralpora, Kupwara, who is operating from Pakistan, was attached following the investigation of an FIR,” the police said.
The police said this measure aims to disrupt his illicit network and restrict his ability to carry out further acts of terror. “Qureshi has been a persistent threat to the peace and security of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir since the time he exfiltrated to Pakistan in the early 1990s,” the police said.
The police said he is a member of the Al-Barq militant outfit. “Farooq’s strategic involvement in numerous acts of militancy has caused immense suffering and loss of innocent lives in the Valley in the past. The attachment serves as a strong message to militants and their supporters that their actions will not go unnoticed or unpunished,” the police said.
Meanwhile, J&K Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh said terrorism in Kashmir was down “but not out fully yet”.
“Some elements are trying to disrupt the peaceful environment in Kashmir and the missing case of a soldier in Kulgam is one such attempt. We have got some vital leads in the case and are hopeful to crack the case soon. We will reach to the bottom of the case shortly,” Mr. Singh said.
