Police personnel in Jammu and Kashmir
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday reportedly detained over 150 suspects allegedly linked to proscribed terror outfits, including Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), in a city-wide action across Srinagar, marking a significant tightening of the security grid in the aftermath of the recently exposed “doctor terror module”.
The detainees were summoned to their respective police stations across the city and held for questioning as part of what officials described as preventive and intelligence-based measures, sources said. Teams from local police units, assisted by other security and intelligence wings, carried out the exercise simultaneously in multiple police station jurisdictions to avoid information leaks and movement of suspects.
A police official said the questioning is aimed at verifying specific intelligence inputs related to terror support networks, including logistical assistance, safe house arrangements, financial conduits and facilitation roles.
“The focus is on mapping networks rather than making immediate arrests,” he said, adding that no formal arrests had been announced till late Saturday evening.
The sweeping action comes against the backdrop of heightened security concerns following the unmasking of an alleged “white-collar” terror module involving medical professionals in Kashmir, which investigators believe had links to militant outfits operating from across the border. The revelations have triggered a broader reassessment of terror support ecosystems, with agencies widening their lens beyond traditional profiles of overground workers.
Security officials said the alleged involvement of educated professionals in terror-linked activities has prompted a more aggressive intelligence validation exercise, particularly in urban centres like Srinagar. “There is a clear directive to leave no blind spots. The recent case has shown that terror networks are evolving and embedding themselves in unexpected spaces,” an official said.
According to sources, several of those detained on Saturday had earlier come under the radar for suspected association with banned outfits, online propaganda dissemination, or acting as couriers and facilitators.
Police maintained that the detentions were preventive in nature and carried out within the ambit of law. The action is also seen as part of sustained counter-terror efforts in the Valley, where security agencies have been focusing on dismantling overground networks that sustain militancy despite a decline in active militant numbers.