SRINAGAR: In a major crackdown on suspected terror networks, the Counter Insurgency Kashmir (CIK) wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday carried out a series of coordinated raids across multiple districts in the Kashmir Valley. The operation is part of an ongoing investigation into activities linked to terrorism and cross-border militancy, officials said.

According to police sources, the raids were conducted in Budgam, Pulwama, Awantipora, Kupwara, Shopian, and Srinagar. These locations were zeroed in on following intelligence inputs and evidence collected during earlier stages of the investigation.

During the probe, it was found that several individuals were allegedly using a highly encrypted messaging application, which has been previously identified as a tool used by terrorists and their handlers based across the border. Officials suspect that these users may have been in regular contact with foreign-based operatives involved in coordinating or funding terror activities in the region.

“The suspects appear to have maintained communication with suspicious entities operating from outside the country, raising serious concerns about possible collaboration or facilitation of unlawful activities,” said a senior police official familiar with the investigation.

The raids were still ongoing when the last reports came in, and authorities have not yet disclosed the number of arrests or seizures made during the operations. However, officials emphasized that such actions are part of sustained efforts to dismantle terror infrastructure and prevent any attempts to disrupt peace and security in the Union Territory.

Security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir have intensified their surveillance and ground-level operations in recent months amid growing concerns over the use of technology by terrorist groups to evade detection and coordinate attacks.