In a major counter-terror crackdown, Sopore Police on Wednesday carried out coordinated searches at over thirty locations across north Kashmir, targeting individuals and premises linked to the banned organisation Jamaat-e-Islami. The operation was conducted under warrants issued in connection with cases registered under the UAPA.
During the raids, police seized bank records, property papers, handwritten ledgers and digital devices that reportedly contained details of financial transactions and ideological material linked to JeI operatives. Officials said the action is part of a wider effort to dismantle separatist-terror networks, cut off their funding sources and curb radicalisation in the Valley.
The crackdown comes as part of a continuing campaign against the banned group. Earlier this year, a special NIA court framed charges against three Jamaat-e-Islami operatives and a trust for alleged terror-funding activities. Declared an unlawful association under the UAPA, JeI has long been accused of acting as a front for militant outfits by aiding recruitment, ideological propagation and money transfers. The present operation focuses sharply on its financial network—bank accounts, real-estate holdings, donations and possible foreign funding.
The timing of the Sopore raids has drawn attention, coinciding with two major terror-related incidents in North India—the Delhi blast near the Red Fort and the massive explosive seizure in Faridabad. Investigators believe the three developments are interlinked, each revealing a different layer of a broader terror network.
In the Faridabad case, nearly 2,900 kilograms of suspected ammonium nitrate and multiple weapons were recovered from rented premises used by two medical professionals with links to Pulwama. Days later, a car explosion in Delhi killed several people and injured many more. Preliminary findings suggest the vehicle belonged to the same network, with one of the accused doctors allegedly involved.
Security agencies now suspect a larger ecosystem at play one that extends from Kashmir to Delhi, using professionals such as doctors and academics as cover, operating through financial fronts, and using rented accommodation and vehicles for logistics. In this context, the Sopore raids acquire special importance. Jamaat-e-Islami has historically provided ideological and logistical support to separatist groups in Kashmir, and dismantling its financial roots could weaken the entire chain.
The investigation continues as security agencies coordinate efforts across multiple states to trace money flows and identify handlers behind the recent terror plots.
