Srinagar Police executed coordinated raids across multiple locations in the city on Wednesday, targeting suspected overground workers and associates of banned terrorist organizations in what officials described as a significant operation to dismantle the terror support network operating in Kashmir’s summer capital.
The extensive search operations, conducted under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, focused on thirteen individuals suspected of facilitating, aiding, or providing logistical support to proscribed terrorist groups. The raids represent part of a broader intelligence-driven effort to disrupt the infrastructure that enables militant activities in the region.
Thirteen Locations Searched Across Srinagar
Police teams simultaneously searched residences across various neighborhoods of Srinagar. The targeted locations included residences in Lal Bazar, Noorbagh, Suthsu Kalan, Kathidarwaza, Sekidafar, Soiteng, New Theed, and Raniwari areas. Among those whose premises were searched were Asrar Ahmad Bala from Omer Colony Lal Bazar, Shahbaz Ahmad Bhat from Palpora Noorbagh, and Fayaz Ahmad Ganie from Suthsu Kalan.
Other individuals included Burhan Nazir from Beeroni Kathidarwaza, Sajid Majeed Shah from Nowpora Sekidafar, Ashiq Bashir Najar and Umer Adil Dar from Soiteng, and multiple residents from the New Theed area, including Shabir Ahmad Ganie, Ajaz Ahmad Bhat, Mohd Altaf Ganie, Fayaz Ahmad Ganie, and Manzoor Ahmad Bhat.
The searches also extended to the residence of Ahsan Ahmad Bhat, also known as Munna, from Mughal Mohalla Raniwari, currently residing at Indra Nagar in Srinagar.
Seizing Evidence, Disrupting Networks
The primary objective of the raids involved seizing incriminating materials, including documents, digital devices, communication equipment, and any other evidence relevant to ongoing terrorism-related investigations. Police officials indicated the operations formed part of a comprehensive intelligence-gathering exercise designed to preempt potential attacks and disrupt conspiracies threatening public safety.
Overground workers play a crucial role in sustaining militant operations by providing safe houses, facilitating movement, gathering intelligence, and handling logistics for active terrorists. Security agencies consider dismantling these support networks essential to weakening the broader terror ecosystem in Kashmir.
Part Of Sustained Counter-Terror Strategy
The coordinated raids underscore Srinagar Police’s ongoing efforts to identify and neutralize individuals involved in facilitating, aiding, or abetting terror-related activities. Officials emphasized that these operations represent not isolated actions but components of a sustained strategy to maintain peace and security in the city.
Legal Framework And Procedural Safeguards
The searches were conducted in accordance with due legal procedure, in the presence of Executive Magistrates and independent witnesses, and under the supervision of senior officers of Jammu and Kashmir Police.