Raids target JeM–AGuH-linked ‘white-collar terror network’; 16 detained, digital devices seized for forensic analysis
The Counter-Intelligence Wing (CIK) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday carried out simultaneous raids at 16 locations across the Kashmir Valley as part of the ongoing probe into the November 10 car bomb blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, which killed 13 people and injured over 20 others.
According to official sources, 16 individuals were detained for questioning during the coordinated operation. Investigators seized mobile phones, laptops, SIM cards, pen drives, and other electronic devices for forensic analysis.
Earlier this week, J&K Police announced the busting of an inter-state and transnational terror network linked to banned outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), an ISIS affiliate in India. The 15-day operation—conducted jointly with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh Police and central agencies—led to the arrest of eight operatives, including three doctors, and the recovery of 2,900 kg of explosives and a cache of sophisticated weapons.
Described by police as a “white-collar terror ecosystem,” the module allegedly used professional and academic networks to fund and coordinate terror activities while maintaining a façade of legitimacy. Investigators suspect that this same network was behind the Delhi blast now being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
A senior officer said Thursday’s raids marked a critical phase in dismantling the wider network. “With the JeM–AGuH module probe now with the CID, we conducted searches at 16 sites to expose this white-collar ecosystem and trace its cross-border links,” he said.
The operations, guided by intelligence inputs from the J&K Crime Investigation Department, targeted Srinagar-based JeM operatives and their overground workers (OGWs). Raids were also carried out at the residences and offices of individuals linked to the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), suspected of providing ideological and logistical support to the module.
Police sources said the network involved educated professionals, including doctors, who allegedly plotted serial blasts in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh over the past two years. The raids aimed to disrupt funding routes, gather electronic evidence, and prevent further attacks. Several detainees are likely to face charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Searches were conducted in Srinagar’s central and peripheral areas, as well as in Anantnag, Pulwama, and Kulgam districts. In Faridabad, a key hideout of the module was earlier busted, with 350 kg of explosives, assault rifles, pistols, and bomb-making materials recovered.
Over the past week, J&K Police have conducted searches at nearly 500 locations across the Union Territory, detaining dozens of suspects as part of an intensified campaign to dismantle terror ecosystems linking J&K with mainland India.
Investigators have identified the central figure in the Delhi blast as Dr. Umar Nabi, a medical professional from Koil village in Pulwama. DNA analysis confirmed Nabi as the suicide bomber driving the explosive-laden vehicle. He had been absconding since several of his associates were arrested. Police said Nabi had connections to Al-Falah Medical College in Faridabad, which allegedly served as an operational base for the module.
Officials said the ongoing raids across the Valley reflect a broader strategy to eliminate terror financing and recruitment networks embedded within professional circles. On Wednesday, police raided multiple JeI-linked premises across J&K, with seized materials now under forensic and financial scrutiny.
Security agencies are also targeting Pakistan-based handlers, overground networks, and former militants previously booked under UAPA. Officials said the intelligence gathered so far has prevented possible follow-up attacks and significantly weakened groups like JeM. The investigation remains ongoing, with inter-agency coordination expected to expand in the coming days.
