J&K Police conducted simultaneous searches at 26 locations in Sopore as part of an ongoing UAPA investigation into the banned Jamaat-e-Islami
The searches covered residential houses and business establishments across Sopore and nearby villages, with CRPF personnel assisting the operation
The raids come amid an intensified security crackdown in Kashmir following the recent killings of a policeman in Anantnag and two migrant labourers in Kulgam
The Jammu and Kashmir police on Sunday conducted simultaneous searches at 26 locations in Sopore of Baramulla district to crackdown on suspected terror-linked network, Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), PTI reported. The raids came following a case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against JeI.
The CRPF also assisted the police in carrying out the raids, and searches are being conducted at residential houses and business establishments in Sopore town as well as several villages, including Bomai, Tarzoo, Shutloo, Rohama, Goripora and Behrampora, the report said.
Why Police Conducted Raids?
The raids are a part of an ongoing probe under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). There have been no reports of any arrests so far.
Jamaat-e-Islami was banned and declared an unlawful association by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs under the UAPA in 2019. The ban was imposed over alleged separatist and terror links. The Centre extended the ban for another five years in February 2024.
The move was aimed at curbing the movement of terrorists and weapons, while preventing other unlawful activities in the area.
According to ANI, search operations were conducted at multiple locations across Anantnag, Shopian and Baramulla districts on Saturday. During a raid at a residential house in Hiller Shahabad, Anantnag, a CIK team led by DySP Farooq Ahmad seized two digital devices.
The devices were seized in connection with the FIR registered at Police Station CIK Kashmir under Sections 153A and 505 of the IPC and Sections 13 and 18 of the UAPA Act.
Recent Terror Attacks In J&K
Earlier, a high-security alert was sounded in Ramban district in the early hours of Friday after a car allegedly evaded a police checkpoint at Chanderkote and fled towards the Nashri area, which prompted a search operation involving multiple security agencies.
As per ANI, the car was travelling from Srinagar towards Jammu when it did not stop at the Chanderkote police checkpoint around 3:30 am despite being signalled by police personnel.
More than a year after the Pahalgam Terrorist attack, Jammu and Kashmir once again echoed with bullets. Two recent incidents have cost three lives. A policeman was shot dead while on duty at the ongoing Amarnath Yatra on July 22, while on Saturday, two non-native labourers were killed in Kulgam.
The two incidents, though on a smaller scale, have brought back memories of the disaster at Pahalgam and have raised questions over the security arrangements in the northern state.
