Asif Iqbal Naik
Jammu: In a major preventive security initiative, Kishtwar Police launched massive Cordon and Search Operations (CASOs) at multiple locations across the sub-divisions of Kishtwar, Chatroo, and Marwah.
The coordinated operations were aimed at tracing the suspicious activities of relatives of Jammu and Kashmir natives operating from Pakistan (JKNOPs), verifying antecedents of suspected individuals, and tightening security around vulnerable and sensitive areas of the district.
During the operations, houses of relatives and known associates of active J&K-based terrorists operating from across the border, as well as suspected Over Ground Workers (OGWs), were thoroughly searched. Police teams inspected multiple premises to ensure that no anti-national or unlawful activities were being carried out or supported.
In addition, similar raids were conducted at SIM card vendor outlets and communication points across Kishtwar and adjoining areas to verify customer verification records (KYC details) and detect any unauthorized issuance or misuse of mobile connections possibly linked to anti-national elements. This move comes in response to intelligence inputs suggesting that communication channels are being exploited by handlers operating from across the border to maintain contact with their local sympathizers.
The drives were conducted jointly by Kishtwar Police and SOG units, covering various sensitive pockets across the district.
Over the past year, the Jammu region has witnessed a series of encounters and counter-terror operations, particularly in the Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley belts — including districts like Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, and Kishtwar. These incidents have exposed renewed attempts by Pakistan-based terror outfits to revive militancy in the Jammu region by infiltrating small groups through rugged mountainous terrain and reactivating dormant local networks. Security forces have neutralized several terrorists and busted sleeper cells as part of these intensified operations.
SSP Kishtwar Naresh Singh told News Insider 24X7 that Police reiterated that such operations are part of ongoing preventive and intelligence-based measures to maintain peace and stability in the region.
This crackdown forms part of a larger national security effort being undertaken across Jammu and Kashmir and other border regions, in line with the Union Government’s strategy to neutralize cross-border terror networks, dismantle local support structures, and ensure foolproof internal security.
Kishtwar Police has appealed to the general public to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and share any information about suspicious movements or persons in their areas, assuring that the identity of informants will be kept confidential.
