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2,500 detained across Kashmir after cop’s killing in Anantnag
Zahoor Ahmad, a resident of north Kashmir’s Baramulla, said his cousin was picked up on Wednesday evening. “My cousin was a former militant. He was called by police and was later detained. Nobody told us the reason behind his detention,” he said
A massive security crackdown across Kashmir following a cop’s killing in Anantnag on Wednesday has led to the detention of around 2,500 people on Friday, including former militants, alleged overground workers (OGWs), stone pelters, and separatist workers.
Zahoor Ahmad, a resident of north Kashmir’s Baramulla, said his cousin was picked up on Wednesday evening. “My cousin was a former militant. He was called by police and was later detained. Nobody told us the reason behind his detention,” he said.
Many people were detained in South Kashmir’s four districts: Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama and Anantnag. “My son was arrested first in 2016 in Anantnag. Now, whenever some adverse thing happens, he is called to the police station but released after a few days. Last time he was picked up during the Pahalgam attack but released after two days,” said a businessman from Pulwama. “He was called to the police station yesterday and is still there. Officials told us he will be released soon,” he said.
A Srinagar resident, whose relative was called to the police station in Old City, alleged that people who have faced jails under militancy charges or Public Safety Act (PSA) have been called to police stations.
IGP Kashmir VK Birdhi and SSP Anantnag Amod Nagpure refrained from commenting on the recent arrests. However, police officials privy to the matter said that in Srinagar alone, 700 people were picked up for questioning. The operation was launched hours after the killing of 45-year-old Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, who was deployed on Amarnath Yatra duty at Lal Chowk, Anantnag, on Wednesday. Officials, however, said that many were released after questioning.
Even though the police have got some clues about the attackers, the detentions are part of the process to keep the pressure on the “terror eco system” in the Valley, the officials said. The attack in Anantnag was the first since the killing of 26 tourists at Baisaran, Pahalgam, last year.
Officials said apart from suspected OGWs, many are lower rung separatist workers whose names have come up during various investigations and militancy related cases in the past two decades. “These are preventive detentions and after the investigations majority of them are being released,” said an officer privy to details.
A senior police officer said police conducted extensive district-wise raids across multiple locations with an aim to dismantle the “ecosystem supporting terrorism”.
“The coordinated operations, carried out on the basis of credible intelligence and as part of an ongoing investigation, resulted in the detention of nearly 700 suspected OGWs for questioning and verification in accordance with established legal procedures in Srinagar,” he said.
Police said that 178 persons were also picked up from Baramulla district, 200 from neighbouring Budgam, 100 in Ganderbal, 70 in Sopore, and 700 to 800 people in South Kashmir’s four districts.
Soon after the attack on the policeman, DGP Nalin Prabhat visited the spot and later chaired a high-level meeting to review the security scenario, especially with the Amarnath Yatra underway. The DGP asked officials to be on alert and step up operations against recorded criminals, suspects, and individuals with terrorist links.
A police officer in South Kashmir said that efforts are being made to arrest the persons involved in the killing of the policeman. “We are working on various leads and those involved in the killing will be neutralised or arrested,” he said.
Police have already obtained CCTV footage of the attack, and a terrorist responsible for killing the cop has been caught on camera. Police have not yet revealed the identity of the terrorist, though they suspect the attacker is not a local. Security forces have also demolished the houses of two militants in Anantnag district a day after the attack.
Sinha chairs high-level security review meeting
Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday chaired a high-level security review meeting with senior officials from the Army, J&K Police, civil administration, CAPFs, and key security agencies. He directed officials to remain highly vigilant, step up intelligence-led anti-terror operations, and proactively neutralise emerging security threats.
Meanwhile, Kashmir has been put on high alert. “Security across Kashmir has been placed on high alert following the terrorist attack in Anantnag. Security forces have intensified surveillance, strengthened checkpoints and launched search operations to maintain law & order. Citizens are urged to remain vigilant and cooperate with security forces,” Srinagar Sector CRPF said on X.
Srinagar MP Agha Ruhullah Mehdi and People’s Conference chairman Sajjad Lone and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, however, criticised the government for the detention of people in Kashmir. Sajjad Lone said the actions of the J&K Police after yesterday’s attack will do more harm. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also criticised the random detentions of people across Kashmir in response to the killing in Anantnag.
