J&K: State Intelligence Team Dismantles Newly Formed Militant Group In Anti-Terror Raids

The Counter-Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday dismantled a newly formed terror group, Tehreek Labaik Ya Muslim (TLM), across multiple districts of the region in an anti-terror raid. 

Authorities have identified TLM as an offshoot of the banned militant organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), reportedly operating under the direction of a Pakistani handler known by the alias 'Baba Hamas.' 

The police launched the raids based on intelligence inputs that revealed an expansive network for TLM operating throughout the Kashmir Valley. The operations targeted key operatives involved in recruitment and mobilization efforts. The raid was carried out in multiple locations including Srinagar, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Kulgam, Budgam, Anantnag, and Pulwama. 

Police officials said that the primary objective was to neutralize a recruitment module actively mobilizing young men for militant activities. TLM is believed to have contributed to a recent surge in recruitment in the region.

This operation follows closely on the heels of a tragic terror attack in Ganderbal district, which resulted in the deaths of seven individuals, most of whom were employees from outside Jammu and Kashmir working on an infrastructure project. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha confirmed that two foreign terrorists, likely infiltrators from the Bandipora region, were involved in the Ganderbal attack.

According to preliminary investigations, the newly formed TLM has significant ideological and logistical connections to Lashkar-e-Taiba which is one of the most active terror groups in the Kashmir Valley. 'Baba Hamas’, who reportedly leads the group, is a known Pakistani operative with extensive ties to transnational terror networks, overseeing cross-border infiltration, financing, and recruitment strategies for TLM.

Following the recent terror attack in Ganderbal which killed seven people including six non-locals, authorities have increased checkpoints and deployed additional paramilitary forces to ensure vigilance. Security measures in the UT have been tightened across major urban centers and border districts.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday directed securing vital infrastructure projects in the Union Territory. He visited the attack site in Ganderbal and he directed security forces to conduct coordinated counter-terrorism operations proactively to eliminate the threat of terrorism in the region.