J&K Police Uncover Connection Between JeM and Banned Women's Terror Group During Valley-Wide Raids

The Counter-Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) unit of Jammu and Kashmir Police has uncovered significant connections between Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and the banned women's terrorist organization Dukhtaran-e-Millat during Tuesday's multi-location raids across the Kashmir Valley, according to sources who spoke to NDTV.

Dukhtaran-e-Millat, formerly led by Asiya Andrabi who was arrested in 2018, has been under surveillance by security agencies.

These coordinated searches form part of an ongoing initiative against social media operatives working in collaboration with cross-border handlers, who have been systematically promoting terrorist, secessionist, and separatist agendas in the region.

According to sources, authorities conducted raids across various locations in Kashmir, including Srinagar, Budgam, and Kulgam districts, as part of investigations into fresh recruitment efforts by terrorist organizations.

The Counter-Intelligence team also executed search operations at the super specialty hospital in Shireen Bagh, Srinagar.

During these operations, authorities detained Dr. Umer Farooq Bhat, a resident of Bugam village in Kulgam who works at the Super Specialty SMHS Hospital in Shireenbagh, along with his wife Shahzada Akhtar.

Sources revealed to NDTV that Dr. Umer Farooq, a government employee, was discovered misusing his official position and social standing to engage in unlawful online activities that potentially threaten public order and national security.

The searches yielded incriminating materials, including radical and jihadi literature specifically targeting women, according to intelligence sources.

Shahzada Akhtar, the female suspect, is allegedly involved in radicalizing local women through carefully curated online and offline engagements, promoting divisive narratives, and influencing vulnerable groups under the guise of community interaction.

Authorities are currently investigating her potential affiliation with the banned terrorist organization 'Dukhtaran-e-Millat'.

Sources indicate that this case highlights a concerning pattern where individuals exploit social roles and professional positions to advance disruptive agendas.

All seized devices—including five mobile phones, multiple SIM cards, and a tablet device—are currently undergoing comprehensive forensic analysis, which is expected to reveal a broader digital network connected to organized propaganda operations.

Early investigative findings suggest the existence of a wider ecosystem of collaborators and sympathizers whose activities aim to amplify extremist content and manipulate public perception.

"No individual, regardless of position or profession, will be permitted to weaponize social or digital influence to support terrorism or disturb public order. CIK remains committed to dismantling the terror ecosystem, including its operators, facilitators, sympathizers, promoters, and propagators. The crackdown continues, and further actions are anticipated as the investigation progresses," stated the intelligence agency.

Following the discovery of the white-collar terror module by J&K Police in coordination with Haryana Police in Faridabad, sustained interrogation of the arrested suspects has been providing investigators with valuable intelligence.