In a major development in the Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir authorities took decisive action late Wednesday night, July 22, by demolishing the houses of two active Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in Anantnag district. This swift action unfolded just hours after a police head constable was shot dead in a targeted terror attack. Officials confirmed that this move forms an integral part of the security forces’ ongoing, wider action against terrorism and its broader support network across the region.

The targeted properties belonged to Adil Thokar, residing in Guree, Bijbehara, and Haroon Rashid Ganaie from Hassanpora. Both individuals have been explicitly identified by the security establishment as active LeT terrorists. Official sources revealed that the newly built house belonging to Adil Thokar was completely destroyed during the overnight operation, marking a stern stance against militant infrastructure.

Escalation on the Amarnath Yatra Route: Fatal Attack on Security Duty

The stern administrative response was triggered directly by a tragic event earlier that afternoon. Head Constable Aashiq Hussain Qureshi, a 35-year-old officer attached to the Indian Reserve Police’s (IRP) 3rd Battalion, was fatally shot by a lone terrorist around 12:30 pm on Wednesday. The attack took place at the vibrant Lal Chowk market area in Anantnag town.

Head Constable Qureshi was actively deployed on patrol duty as part of a specialized team tasked with securing the vital "Lal Chowk-Kokernag axis" for the ongoing Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage. According to senior police officials, he was standing on duty near the Kotwal Gali entrance when the assailant fired upon him from point-blank range.

“He was on duty at Lal Chowk near the Kotwal Gali entrance when he was shot at from close range by one person,” a senior police officer stated regarding the assault.

CCTV footage captured from the site revealed crucial details about the perpetrator. The footage showed a man wearing a black cap carrying a bundle wrapped in a distinct saffron, white, and green cloth. Police officials verified that this cloth bundle hidden in plain sight contained an AK-47 assault rifle used to execute the strike.

Despite immediate efforts by his colleagues to retaliate, the shooter managed to escape by quickly blending into the surrounding market crowd. Security establishment sources noted that the attacker fired multiple rounds at close range before fleeing.

“Police personnel was immediately rushed to GMC Anantnag, but he succumbed to his injuries due to excessive blood loss. He sustained over five gun shot injuries,” a security source disclosed.

The 45-year-old Head Constable Qureshi, a resident of Budgam, was rushed to the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Anantnag, where doctors tragically declared him brought dead. The slain officer, who is survived by his mother, wife, and three children, had joined the police force under compassionate appointment after his father, a police constable, lost his life in an accident on the Srinagar-Jammu highway three decades ago. Following the circulation of the graphic video online, police authorities urged citizens not to share the clip and warned of strict legal action against any violators.

Intelligence Insights and Responsibility Claims

Initial assessments regarding the perpetrator's identity evolved as the investigation unfolded.

“It earlier appeared to be the work of a new LeT recruit but now it seems it is a foreign terrorist. The hunt for the shooter is on,” a security establishment source revealed.

Shortly after the incident, The Resistance Fighters—a known front for The Resistance Force (TRF), which operates as a proxy organization for Lashkar-e-Taiba—publicly claimed responsibility for the killing. In a digital poster circulated across online platforms, the outfit published a statement:

“Amid tight so-called Yatra security, the Resistance Fighters carried out a targeted attack with clear precision on mercenaries of JKP, in which one Ashiq Hussain of JKP was shot with five bullets.”

Valley-Wide Anti-Terror Drive and Mass Detentions

Immediately following the fatal attack, security forces completely sealed off the Lal Chowk area and initiated a massive counter-terrorism campaign to trace the attacker. Security protocols were instantly heightened, leading to increased personnel deployment, intensified checking, and strict surveillance at key transit routes and entry points across the district.

As part of this comprehensive strategy aimed at neutralizing networks providing logistical, financial, communication, transportation, and shelter support to militants, police launched district-wide raids across Jammu and Kashmir. Unofficial estimates indicate that over 2,000 individuals have been detained across various districts for questioning:

• Srinagar: Police conducted extensive raids at multiple locations, detaining nearly 700 suspected overground workers (OGWs).
• Budgam: District-wide operations led to over 200 detentions, encompassing suspected OGWs, miscreants, and individuals tied to NDPS cases taken into preventive custody.
• Baramulla: Intensified counter-terrorism efforts resulted in the detention of 178 OGWs for sustained verification.
• Ganderbal: Coordinated raids yielded more than 100 suspected OGW detentions.
• South Kashmir Districts: Extensive preventive detentions were also recorded in Shopian, Kulgam, and Anantnag.

Highlighting the scope of these operations, the police official statement emphasized:

“The coordinated operations, carried out on the basis of credible intelligence and as part of an ongoing investigation, resulted in the detention of nearly 700 suspected over ground workers (OGWs) for questioning and verification in accordance with established legal procedures.”“The operations have been undertaken with the objective of identifying and neutralising networks that provide logistical, financial, communication, transportation, shelter, and other forms of support to terrorist organisations,” the police added.

Sources noted that property demolitions are aimed at destroying the infrastructure used by militants. While such demolitions occurred previously in the Kashmir Valley, they had largely paused over the past year amidst a noticeable drop in terror incidents.

Impact on Security and Regional Context

This lethal assault marks the first major terror incident in the region since the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, which tragically claimed 26 lives. That earlier event had prompted India to initiate Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure.

The killing of Head Constable Qureshi presents a severe security challenge, occurring directly during the crucial Amarnath Yatra period. Although the Yatra pilgrimage was temporarily suspended at the time due to heavy rain and flood threats, high security remained deployed along the entire movement axis.

Early Thursday morning, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a high-level security review meeting with top military, police, paramilitary, and civil administration officials at Lok Bhawan in Srinagar. Directions were issued to maintain seamless inter-agency coordination and safeguard pilgrims. Meanwhile, the CRPF Sector Srinagar spokesperson confirmed that a high alert remains active across the Valley, with intensified checkpoints and active search operations in place.

Political Reactions and Pushback Against Mass Crackdowns

The sudden escalation and administrative measures have drawn strong responses from political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing an event on Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah cautioned against severe measures like property demolitions and mass detentions, stressing that winning public trust is indispensable in defeating terrorism.

“I understand the anger of the police but there is an order from the Supreme Court that such actions (demolition of houses) should not happen. We saw similar actions after the Pahalgam attack when some houses were bulldozed. I had to talk to the central government at that time to stop the trend,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated.

Drawing from his past experience handling the home portfolio as Chief Minister between 2009 and 2014, Abdullah pointed out that investigation into the April 2025 Pahalgam attack showed a lack of local militant involvement. He emphasized:

“We will not be able to improve the situation by demolishing houses or arresting thousands of people. Instead, the situation will worsen.”“People expressed their anger and raised their voices after the Pahalgam attack. Even today, people are angry that the head constable of the police was killed,” Abdullah added, reinforcing the need to align with public sentiment.

Similarly, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti condemned the officer's killing while firmly opposing collective punishment methods.

“If the Government of India itself maintains that militancy has been reduced to near zero it must adopt a more humane and lawful approach towards innocent civilians instead of resorting to tit-for-tat against an entire community,” Mehbooba Mufti stated.