The Counter-Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police detained 10 individuals on Saturday in a sweeping operation targeting a terror recruitment and financing network linked to Pakistan-based handlers. The crackdown, part of a two-year-old case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and IPC Section 120-B, involved raids across 10 locations in Budgam, Pulwama, Ganderbal, and Srinagar districts.

Investigations uncovered “suspicious technical signatures” tied to a specific encrypted messaging application widely used by terrorists and their handlers for coordinating attacks, financing, and recruiting local youth. The suspects were allegedly in contact with Abdullah Gazi, a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander operating from Pakistan, in close coordination with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). “The handler was actively radicalizing Kashmiri youth for terrorist ranks,” officials told PTI, citing server data from the encrypted app.

The meticulously planned raids, conducted with a court-issued warrant under the NIA Act, led to the seizure of extensive documentary evidence and digital devices, which are now under analysis for further leads. The operation, dubbed a preventive strike, aims to dismantle the terror ecosystem by targeting Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and curbing the misuse of communication devices.

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This crackdown follows heightened security measures after the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists, and was linked to LeT’s proxy, The Resistance Front. J&K reported 107 terror incidents in 2024, with 1,517 arrests under the NDPS Act, signaling a robust response to cross-border terrorism.

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