Security forces rounded up scores of suspects on Tuesday (February 4, 2025) in a major manhunt for attackers who killed an ex-Army man and left two of the family members injured in south Kashmir’s Kulgam on Monday (February 3, 2025).
Following the attack, the National Conference (NC) and the Congress questioned the Centre’s claims of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to locals, security forces summoned suspects and searched their houses in Kulgam. “Many youths whose names are mentioned in the past first information reports (FIRs) were summoned and questioned,” a local told The Hindu.
The Army on Monday (February 3, 2025) said unidentified terrorists attacked three citizens – Manzoor Ahmed Waghey, a 39-year-old ex-serviceman; wife Aaina Akhtar, 32; and niece Saina Hameed, 13, – at Behibagh in Kulgam. “The cowardly act of terror on unarmed citizens was perpetrated by the inimical elements who do not want peace and prosperity, which defines Kashmir of today, to flourish. In this dastardly act of terror even the innocent woman and child were not spared,” the Army said.
Security forces are investigating if local militants were involved in the attack. A Kashmir-based news portal, the Kashmir Dot Com, put the number of detained over ground workers (OGWs) and terror associates at around 500. The J&K Police neither confirmed nor denied these figures.
When contacted by The Hindu, senior J&K police officers did not respond to the allegations of mass detentions, which has reportedly extended to nearby districts of Shopian and Anantnag districts.
Quoting a senior police officer, the Kashmir Dot Com, wrote that “a massive operation [was on] across the Valley to identify and apprehend individuals with links to terrorist networks”.
Kulgam witnessed a major anti-militancy operation on December 19, 2024, that left the longest surviving Hizbul Mujahideen ‘commander’, Farooq Ahmed Bhat, among five others dead in Kader area.
Candlelight protests
Locals and ex-servicemen took out candlelight protests in Baramulla, Bandipora, Anantnag and Shopian against Monday’s attack.
NC president Farooq Abdullah and Congress State president Tariq Hameed Karra questioned the Centre’s claims of normalcy in Kashmir. “Everyday, they [the Centre] make statements in Parliament, outside Parliament, on mountains and everywhere that militancy has ended. If militancy has ended, incidents like this [Kulgam attack] should not happen,” Dr. Abdullah said.
Mr. Karra said such killings were “unfortunate”. “Killing of security forces or civilian killings expose claims of the government of India,” he said.
Held for smuggling SIM
In a separate incident, the J&K Police’s special cell, the Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK), on Tuesday (February 4, 2025) detained five suspects allegedly involved in transporting and smuggling SIM cards to terrorists lodged in different jails.
“The five individuals were detained for interrogation for their involvement in a criminal conspiracy hatched with anti-national elements, aimed at procuring and transportation of SIM cards inside the Central Jail premises for use by the jail inmates, who include those involved in terrorism and narco-terrorism,” the police said.
The police said the role of point of sale (PoS) and vendors of different telecom service providers (TSPs), who have issued the SIM cards, were being ascertained. More arrests are expected.
The five persons were picked up from Dawoodpora of Anantnag district, Qamarwari and Kursu Padshahi Bagh of Srinagar district and Nathpora and Kaloosa of Bandipora.
