Kashmir terror crackdown: Police launches pre-dawn raids across 10 locations

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday launched a series of high-stakes pre-dawn raids across Srinagar, Shopian, and Ganderbal districts of the Kashmir Valley, targeting suspected terror operatives in a fresh investigation with significant international ramifications.

The operations undertaken by Counter-Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) unit of the Jammu and Kashmir Police began in the early hours and are being carried out under search warrants issued by the Court. They stem from a newly registered case at Police Station CIK, reportedly linked to a terror module recently busted by the Delhi Police Special Cell.

According to sources, the network has connections to handlers based in Bangladesh and Pakistan and is believed to be involved in Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) recruitment, financing, and logistics for activities in Jammu & Kashmir.

Investigators have identified the module as being directed by Shabir Ahmad Lone, a Kashmir-native LeT operative originally from Kangan in Ganderbal district, who is currently based in Bangladesh. Officials say Lone has been orchestrating activities remotely, coordinating with operatives on the ground and facilitating cross-border linkages as part of a broader transnational terror network.

CIK teams, supported by local police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, are conducting searches at at least 10 locations, six in Ganderbal, three in Shopian, and one in Srinagar district. The teams are looking for incriminating material, including digital devices, arms, financial records, and propaganda content that could establish links to the larger network. While no arrests have been officially confirmed so far, officials suggest that crucial leads are emerging and breakthroughs may be imminent.

The investigation is part of a larger transnational terror module case linked to the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Security agencies believe the module was receiving directions from LeT handlers operating out of both Bangladesh and Pakistan, highlighting a coordinated cross-border effort to sustain militancy in the region.

The crackdown follows heightened security alerts in the wake of last month's operation in Delhi, where three operatives were arrested for allegedly channeling funds and recruits from Bangladesh to terror modules in Kashmir. Agencies suspect that the network was attempting to revive hybrid terror tactics at a time when sustained peace efforts are underway in the Valley.