Srinagar: Police on Thursday carried out searches at 21 locations, including the residence of IC-814 hijack accused terrorist Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar alias Latrum, across the city here as part of a clampdown on the terror ecosystem in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack that left 26 people dead.
A team of police investigators carried out the searches early in the morning at the residence of Latrum, the self-styled chief of the Al-Umar terror outfit, and houses of 20 other terror accused, officials said.
Latrum was released from prison, along with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, in exchange for the passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines flight 814 in 1999.
In March 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) attached Latrum’s house under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The fugitive terrorist is believed to be operating from Pakistan after his release in 1999.
A spokesperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Police said they have intensified searches across multiple locations in the city, with the aim to dismantle the terror-supporting infrastructure in the district.
He said the searches were part of the continuing action against terrorist associates of proscribed outfits and in furtherance of the investigation into cases registered under the UAPA.
The searches were conducted at 21 places, he added.
The searches were conducted in accordance with proper legal procedures in the presence of executive magistrates and independent witnesses and under the supervision of Jammu and Kashmir Police officers, the spokesperson said.
The searches were carried out to seize arms, documents, digital devices etc., with the objective of evidence collection and intelligence gathering to detect and deter any conspiratorial or terrorist activity, he said.
The spokesperson said the decisive action of the Jammu and Kashmir Police aims at dismantling the terror ecosystem in the Union Territory by identifying and taking legal action against individuals engaged in such anti-national and criminal activities.
The Srinagar Police remains committed to maintaining peace and security in the city. Any individual found furthering the agenda of violence, disruption or unlawful activities will face strict legal consequences under the law, the spokesperson said.
Twenty-six people, mostly tourists, were killed and several injured when terrorists opened fire at a meadow near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on April 22.
