Srinagar, Nov 10: In a significant counter-militancy breakthrough, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have dismantled a sophisticated inter-state militant module linked to the proscribed Pakistan-backed outfits Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH). The operation has unearthed a dangerous new face of terrorism in Kashmir — a “white-collar terror ecosystem” driven by educated professionals, radicalised students, and religious clerics.
The probe began after JeM threat posters appeared in the localities of Bunpora Nowgam, Srinagar, on October 19, 2025. Police registered FIR No. 162/2025 at Police Station Nowgam under the UAPA, Explosive Substances Act, and Arms Act.
Investigations revealed that the group was coordinating through encrypted applications and digital platforms across states, raising funds under the guise of social and academic activities, and receiving ideological guidance from handlers based in Pakistan and abroad.
So far, seven individuals have been arrested, identified as:
Arif Nisar Dar @ Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar @ Shahid (Nowgam, Srinagar)
Molvi Irfan Ahmad (Imam, Shopian)
Zameer Ahmad Ahanger @ Mutlasha (Wakura, Ganderbal)
Dr. Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie @ Musaib (Koil, Pulwama)
Dr. Adeel (Wanpora, Kulgam)
The group was involved in radicalising youth, collecting funds, arranging hideouts, procuring weapons, and fabricating improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
During the raids, police seized a huge cache of arms and explosives, including one AK-56 rifle, one Krinkov rifle, one Beretta pistol, one Chinese Star pistol, multiple electronic gadgets, and approximately 2,900 kg of IED-making chemicals, batteries, detonating components, and metal shrapnel.
Simultaneous searches were also conducted in Haryana (Faridabad) and Uttar Pradesh (Saharanpur) to trace the financial and digital chain. The financial probe is ongoing, and more suspects are likely to be identified.
Security officials say this operation signals a crucial shift — modern terror networks are moving away from traditional gunmen and are increasingly driven by educated professionals using technology, encrypted channels, and corporate-style structures. This case is therefore not just a routine militancy bust but a strategic strike against the intellectual, financial, and digital backbone of contemporary militant groups.
Experts believe that protecting peace in Jammu and Kashmir now requires not only preventive actions on the ground but continuous vigilance in digital spaces, institutions, universities, and professional organisations — where silent radicalisation is being curated.
This bust by the J&K Police marks a major milestone and sends a strong, timely message that new-age militant ecosystems — regardless of how white-collar or intellectual they appear — will be dismantled and exposed.
Report: Mansoor Qadir, ITN.
