1,500 detained in Kashmir as police launch crackdown on ‘terror support network’

Srinagar: In one of the largest coordinated crackdowns in recent months, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have detained around 1,500 individuals across the Valley over the past three days in what officials described as a “pre-emptive strike” aimed at dismantling the terror support network and preventing any attempt to disrupt peace.

“Around 1,500 suspects have been picked up across Kashmir,” a senior police officer told DH, adding that those detained include suspected overground workers (OGWs), sympathisers, and family members of militants believed to be operating from across the border.

According to officials, the sweeping operation is part of ongoing “non-kinetic measures” designed to neutralise individuals accused of sustaining or facilitating the “terror ecosystem” in the Union Territory.

“The idea is to ensure that anyone attempting to revive militant networks or aid them is kept under constant watch and pressure,” the officer said.

The crackdown, which has been carried out simultaneously in multiple districts including Srinagar, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Baramulla, follows what police sources described as “credible intelligence inputs” about attempts by militants to regroup or launch disruptive actions in the region.

“There were specific inputs that militants might try to disturb the situation. To counter that, we had to move swiftly to dismantle their support structures,” another senior security official said, terming the action a “preventive and pre-emptive” step rather than a reactive one.

Officials emphasised that the detentions are not arbitrary but part of a broader intelligence-based operation targeting individuals under surveillance for their suspected involvement in aiding or sheltering militants.

Many of those detained are likely to be released after verification, sources said, while others may face formal charges under relevant sections of law.

The current drive marks a renewed focus by the security establishment on tackling the “white-collar” segment of militancy - individuals who, while not directly involved in armed violence, allegedly sustain separatist narratives or logistical networks.