Massive police crackdown sweeps Kashmir with 200 raids and hundreds detained in terror network purge

In one of the largest coordinated security crackdowns in recent months, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on November 12 carried out sweeping raids across more than 200 locations in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district and several other areas, detaining hundreds linked to the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and its alleged associates.

The operation — part of what officials described as a sustained campaign to “dismantle the terror ecosystem and its grassroots support structure” — has seen over 400 cordon-and-search operations conducted in Kulgam alone over the last four days. Similar raids were reported from Sopore, Ganderbal, and Awantipora, with police teams targeting suspected networks linked to separatist and militant outfits.

According to police, more than 500 individuals affiliated with the JeI, JKNOPs, and other banned groups were interrogated in Kulgam, with several placed under preventive detention and moved to District Jail Mattan in Anantnag. In Sopore, counter-terror teams carried out simultaneous raids at over 30 locations early Wednesday, citing efforts to neutralize what they termed a “separatist ecosystem.”

Officials said that “a large quantity of incriminating materials, including documents, digital devices, and printed content” was recovered during the searches and has been sent for forensic analysis. Multiple suspects have been detained for questioning to determine their role in subversive or unlawful activities.

The intensified action comes against the backdrop of the recent busting of a terror module in Faridabad and Saharanpur — whose members allegedly hailed from the Valley — and the RedFort blast, suspected to have been orchestrated by Pulwama resident Dr. Umar Nabi.

While officials have refrained from directly linking the ongoing raids to that case, security sources described the latest operations as “a pre-emptive strike based on credible inputs” to prevent the re-organization of militant structures.

Police termed the crackdown a “crucial part” of a larger preventive strategy to sever ideological, financial, and logistical links sustaining militancy and separatism in Jammu and Kashmir. Over 1,500 individuals have been picked up for questioning across the Valley in the past week, as authorities intensify their efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region.