Tension Mounts in Kashmir as SIA Expands Probe Under Anti-Terror Law

Jammu and Kashmir Police's State Investigation Agency (SIA) launched coordinated searches across multiple districts in the Kashmir Valley on Wednesday, targeting suspected terror networks as part of an ongoing investigation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Officials confirmed the operations took place in the Anantnag, Kulgam, and Baramulla districts, focusing on areas linked to anti-national activities. The raids, which began early in the morning, aimed to gather evidence in a case involving alleged unlawful associations and terror financing, reflecting heightened security measures in the region.

In north Kashmir's Baramulla district, SIA teams zeroed in on Rafiabad and Sopore, known hotspots for militant activities in recent years. Sopore, often dubbed a "militancy cradle", has seen intermittent violence, while Rafiabad has been under scrutiny for harbouring operatives. Further south, in Anantnag's Padapora Badasgam area—a rural belt with a history of insurgent recruitment—searches uncovered potential hideouts. Similarly, in Kulgam’s Kalam area, another South Kashmir locale plagued by encounters between security forces and militants, investigators combed through residences and abandoned structures. No arrests were immediately reported, but the operations proceeded without major incidents, underscoring improved law enforcement coordination post the 2019 abrogation of Article 370.

During the searches, SIA sleuths seized incriminating documents, including digital devices, financial records, and propaganda materials, which could implicate individuals in supporting banned outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba or Hizbul Mujahideen. These findings are expected to bolster the case file, with forensic analysis underway at SIA labs in Srinagar. The UAPA, India's primary anti-terror law enacted in 1967 and amended in 2019 to include economic terrorism provisions, empowers agencies like the SIA to detain suspects without bail and prosecute swiftly. It allows for chargesheets within 180 days of arrest, extendable with court approval, and carries severe penalties up to death or life imprisonment.

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The raids come amid a fragile calm in Jammu and Kashmir, where security forces have intensified crackdowns following a spate of targeted killings and infiltration attempts earlier this year. With over 100 UAPA cases registered in the Union Territory since 2020, such operations highlight the SIA's role in dismantling terror ecosystems. Officials emphasised that the probe remains active, with further actions anticipated based on recovered evidence, as the valley navigates its transition toward stability and development.

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