Authorities on Thursday demolished the family homes of two alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, a day after an India Reserve Police (IRP) head constable was shot dead in a militant attack. The action is part of a wider security crackdown in which more than 2,000 suspected militant associates have been detained across the Valley for questioning.
IRP head constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi was killed on Wednesday in a “shoot-and-scoot” attack by a lone gunman in the busy Lal Chowk-Achabal Adda area of Anantnag town, around 55 km from Srinagar. The attack, carried out in a crowded commercial area, prompted a major security response.
The Resistance Front (TRF), which security agencies describe as a proxy of the banned LeT, claimed responsibility for the attack through a social media post.
According to official sources, the newly constructed family house of Adil Ahmed Thokar, an alleged LeT commander from Guri village in Anantnag, was demolished during an operation on Thursday morning. Security agencies suspect Thokar of being actively involved in militant activities in the district.
In a separate operation conducted overnight, security forces demolished the single-storey family home of Haroon Rashid Ganai, son of Abdur Rashid Ganai, in Hassanpora Tawella, Bijbehara. Officials said Ganai has been associated with the LeT since 2018.
The demolition drives were carried out jointly by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Army’s 1 Rashtriya Rifles, and the 90 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as part of an intensified counter-terrorism operation.
Security agencies have also expanded efforts to dismantle militant support networks. Police sources said that, with assistance from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), more than 2,000 former militants and Over Ground Workers (OGWs) have been detained for questioning and verification during extensive search operations across the Valley.
Officials said the exercise is aimed at preventing further militant attacks, gathering intelligence and identifying those who may have facilitated Wednesday’s killing.
A high security alert remains in force across Kashmir. Security forces have increased surveillance, strengthened checkpoints and intensified search operations.
In a post on X, the CRPF said security arrangements across Kashmir have been tightened following the attack. “Security forces have intensified surveillance, strengthened checkpoints and launched search operations to maintain law and order. Citizens are urged to remain vigilant and cooperate with security forces,” it said.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a high-level security review meeting at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar on Thursday to assess the overall security situation and review arrangements for the Amarnath Yatra, which is expected to resume later this week after being suspended since July 19 due to adverse weather.
Senior officials from the police, Army and intelligence agencies attended the meeting and briefed the Lieutenant Governor on the security situation and the status of the pilgrimage.
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