Pahalgam massacre: Houses razed, hundreds detained in massive crackdown in Kashmir

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 five 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.

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 houses of the alleged terrorists were demolished in Pulwama, Shopian 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.

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.

The police spokesman said extensive searches were conducted at multiple locations across the city at the residences of OGWs and terrorist associates of proscribed terrorist outfits and in the furtherance of investigations into cases registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

“In its relentless efforts to dismantle the terrorist ecosystem, Srinagar Police conducted searches across the length and breadth of the city at the residences of OGWs and terrorist associates involved in cases registered under UAPA,” the spokesman said.

He said the searches were conducted in accordance with proper legal procedures in the presence of Executive Magistrates and independent witnesses under the supervision of the officers of J-K Police.

They were carried out to seize weapons, documents, digital devices, etc. with the objective of evidence collection and intelligence gathering to detect and deter any conspiratorial or terrorist activity against the security of the nation.

“This decisive action of J-K Police aims to dismantle the terrorist ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir by identifying and taking legal action against individuals engaged in such anti-national and criminal activities,” he added.

The spokesman said the police remain committed to maintaining peace and security in the city.

“Any individual found furthering the agenda of violence, disruption, or unlawful activities will face strict legal consequences under the law,” it warned.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani military carried out unprovoked firing all across the Line of Control for a second consecutive night and Indian troops effectively responded to them, military sources said on Saturday.

No casualties were reported in the firing.

“On the night of April 25 and 26, unprovoked small arms firings were carried out by various Pakistan Army post all across the LoC in Kashmir,” a source said, adding, “Indian troops responded appropriately with small arms.”

The Pakistan military has been put on high alert following India’s assertion that it would hunt down the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam strike.

J & K