Security Agencies Hunting for Home-Grown Terrorists, Half-a-Dozen Houses Demolished
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Apr 26: A subdued sound of explosion and minutes later what remained were only blue shards of broken glass, wooden planks and bricks and concrete strewn across the ground, the house of one of the wanted home grown terrorist is gone.
Four days after the devastating terror attack in Pahalgam, security forces are still conducting anti-terror operations across the Valley. Authorities in Kashmir have launched a massive crackdown on terrorists and their sympathisers in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, razing homes of the ultras, raiding their safe havens and detaining hundreds of over-ground workers for questioning, officials said on Saturday.
The house in a bylane of Murran in Pulwama wanted terrorist Ehsan Ul Haq now similarly stand demolished. According to locals, Indian Army personnel in 20 vehicles arrived on Friday evening and carried out a controlled explosion to demolish the house.
“The entire lane was emptied. All of us were moved out. Their work went on for hours. At around 10:30, the house was brought down and the army left an hour later,” a neighbour said. Neighbours said Ehsan’s parents, his brother, and sister-in-law were residing in the Pulwama house, while Ehsan himself has been missing for the past two years. The family left when the forces arrived, locals said.
The demolition caused minor damages to 10–15 houses in the vicinity, mostly left with broken glass panes and windows. Udarshe Thokar’s house, located adjacent to the Haq household, suffered cracks in the front portion due to the demolition. Thokar’s family said his son’s wedding is due in 10 days.
Agencies suspect Ehsan was among the local terrorists who assisted Pakistani terrorists Hashim Musa and Ali Talha, alias Ali Bhai, in executing the Baisaran terror attack. Musa and Talha, both Lashkar terrorists, carry a police-announced reward of Rs 20 lakh each. The Baisaran attack involved terrorists targeting civilians and security forces in the popular tourist meadow area of Baisaran, heightening concerns over the security situation in the Valley.
Similar actions were taken against other wanted terror suspects. In Monghama, Tral, the house of Asif Sheikh, believed to be a local Lashkar commander and previously wanted in the Sunjwan terror attack, was demolished on Friday morning. Adil Guree, another suspect from Bijbehara, believed to have conducted reconnaissance of the meadow before the Baisaran attack, also had his family house demolished.
Late on Friday night, action was taken against the houses of Shabir Ahmad Kuttay in Chotipora, Shopian, and Zakir Ganie in Kulgam. Both are wanted terror suspects. The houses of three active terrorists were demolished in Kashmir overnight.
In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, intelligence agencies have intensified their hunt for local terrorists suspected of conspiring in the assault. A list of 14 active terrorists operating in South Kashmir’s Anantnag, Shopian, and Pulwama districts has been prepared, as agencies step up action across the Valley.
According to the list, eight of the identified terrorists are associated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba, while three each belong to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen. One individual from the list, wanted Lashkar terrorist Ehsan Ul Haq, has already faced action, with his house in Pulwama recently demolished by security forces.
Apart from these 14 names, agencies have also taken action against Asif Sheikh from Tral, Adil Guree from Bijbehara, Shabir Ahmad Kuttay from Shopian, and Zakir Ganie from Kulgam. According to intelligence dossiers, all these individuals remained active in the Valley until April 2025, just days before the Pahalgam attack unfolded.
The authorities have suspended all trekking activities across Jammu and Kashmir until further notice as tensions rise along the LoC with repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan, and response by the Indian Army.
On Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a key meeting to discuss the future course of action regarding the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, which has been suspended. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Paatil, and senior officials from various ministries attended the meeting in New Delhi.
Amid deteriorating ties, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered to participate in a “neutral, credible” investigation, as India accused Islamabad of supporting “cross-border terrorism” in the worst terror attack since 26/11 in Mumbai. The situation was further complicated as Pakistani forces violated ceasefire for a second day by opening “unprovoked” fire at multiple locations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Saturday, according to officials.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) issued an advisory asking all media channels to refrain from live coverage of defence operations, and the movement of security forces.
