Jammu and Kashmir's Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) unit raided two key prisons—Central Jail in Srinagar and District Jail in Kupwara—targeting suspected terror-linked activities behind bars, sources confirmed. Backed by heavy paramilitary contingents, the surprise searches focused on monitoring inmate communications, smuggled devices, and potential overground worker (OGW) networks, amid intelligence on radicalization efforts within facilities. Officials emphasized the raids as part of a broader drive to neutralize subversive elements, with no immediate arrests reported but documents and mobiles seized for forensic analysis.
The prison sweeps come amid heightened vigilance in the Valley, where CIK has been tracking jail-based plotting for months, including encrypted messages to PoK handlers. Similar operations earlier this year in Kupwara and Srinagar uncovered narco-terror links, leading to seven detentions in September raids across multiple districts. This latest move underscores ongoing efforts to dismantle terror ecosystems, especially after a surge in cross-border incursions reported in Kupwara, where security forces neutralized two militants just days ago.
Simultaneously, Kulgam Police unleashed a massive crackdown in south Kashmir, cordoning off and searching over a dozen houses tied to relatives and OGWs of J&K nationals who crossed the Line of Control (LoC) years ago to join PoK-based terror outfits. The operation, dubbed a "major blow to subversive networks," booked several individuals for logistical aid, propaganda dissemination, and recruitment facilitation. Houses raided included those of LoC crossers now allegedly with Lashkar-e-Taiba affiliates, with police vowing to continue cordon-and-search operations (CASOs) until the support structure crumbles.
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The coordinated actions reflect Jammu and Kashmir's intensified anti-terror strategy post-Article 370 abrogation, with districts like Kulgam, Kupwara, and Doda seeing parallel probes into Pakistan-linked financing and arms smuggling. A senior officer hailed the Kulgam sweep as dismantling "the ecosystem of terror," charging suspects under anti-national laws. This follows ED raids in a narco-terror case last week, targeting ex-minister Babu Singh and others for hawala funding of separatists.
As the Valley grapples with over 70,000 conflict-related deaths since 1989—mostly civilians—these raids signal zero tolerance for residual threats. With winter infiltration risks rising, authorities plan more CASOs in border areas like Kupwara and Rajouri. While militants claim attacks like the recent grenade hurl in Srinagar, security forces remain proactive, aiming to restore normalcy and curb the insurgency's grip.
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