Srinagar, Oct 22: Two days after six non-locals and a local doctor were killed, Jammu and Kashmir Police claimed to have busted a newly emerged militant group believed to be an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said that two masked terrorists were involved in the Ganderbal incident. However, it is not yet confirmed if this new militant group was responsible for Sunday’s attack.
“On the morning of October 22, 2024, the CIK launched coordinated search operations at multiple locations across Srinagar, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Kulgam, Budgam, Anantnag, and Pulwama,” officials said.
“The recruitment module is led by a Pakistani terror handler known as Baba Hamas,” officials added, stating that further investigations are ongoing to uncover the group’s wider network and activities.
Sources revealed that the CIK searched 10 locations across the Valley, seizing 14 mobile phones, one laptop, and other incriminating materials. Seven suspects were detained during the raids.
CIK, a division of Jammu and Kashmir Police, specializes in investigating and countering militancy-related activities and covert operations.
The raids followed a recent attack where two unidentified terrorists targeted a workers’ camp at the Z-Morh tunnel construction site in Gagangeer, Ganderbal district in Central Kashmir. The attack claimed the lives of seven people, including a local doctor.
The incident prompted widespread condemnation from political leaders and civil society across Jammu and Kashmir.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha stated that preliminary investigations indicate two masked foreign terrorists entered the workers’ mess and opened indiscriminate fire, killing seven.
Sinha said that police and other security forces have been given full freedom to track down and eliminate the perpetrators of the heinous act.
He further added that both terrorists reportedly infiltrated from the Bandipora area of North Kashmir. “They are being tracked and will be neutralized,” he said. He also mentioned that the police and security forces have devised a new strategy to deal with foreign terrorists who have infiltrated the region to disrupt peace.
In the wake of these incidents, security has been beefed up across Kashmir.
Additional paramilitary forces have been deployed to maintain surveillance, and the number of checkpoints has been increased to ensure security.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah urged security forces to remain vigilant, stressing that such violent acts aim to create instability in the region.
