8 relatives of JKNOPs, OGWs held during Kulgam raids

Srinagar, Nov 10: Police have detained eight relatives of J&K Nationals Operating from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (JKNOPs) and Over Ground Workers (OGWs) under preventive laws and subsequently shifted to the Central Jail Anantnag.

The Police have intensified efforts to dismantle what it describes as the “terror ecosystem” operating from within Kashmir.

Multiple coordinated raids were carried out across several areas of Kulgam district on Monday, targeting OGWs, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Public Safety Act (PSA) accused, as well as sympathisers and relatives of killed and active terrorists.

According to the Police, the operation is part of a larger security grid action underway in south Kashmir aimed at neutralising networks providing logistical, financial, or moral support to terror outfits.

During the crackdown, eight relatives of JKNOPs and OGWs were detained under preventive laws and subsequently shifted to the Central Jail, Anantnag.

Several other suspects were questioned, and multiple residential premises were searched during the day-long operation.

In a parallel legal move, the Police filed 16 applications seeking cancellation of bail granted earlier to individuals booked under the UAPA, signalling a tougher stance on those accused of terror-related offences.

A senior Police officer said the latest operations are part of a “zero-tolerance policy” towards terrorism and its support networks.

“The intent is clear – to uproot every layer of the ecosystem that sustains militancy, directly or indirectly,” the officer said.

The crackdown follows a recent series of coordinated raids across Kashmir, including in Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, and Srinagar, where Police and other security forces have been jointly pursuing suspects linked to terror communication and funding channels.

Earlier, the Police in Kulgam had initiated stern action against JKNOP operatives and SIM card vendors accused of facilitating the flow of communication and digital transactions to terror handlers based across the border.

Police sources said similar preventive actions and scrutiny of suspicious financial transactions are expected to continue in the coming days as part of the ongoing campaign to ensure “long-term peace and stability” in Kashmir.