More Than 3,000 Detained in Sweeping Kashmir Crackdown After Anantnag Police Killing

SRINAGAR: Indian security forces have detained more than 3,000 people across Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in one of the region’s largest recent crackdowns, following the killing of a police officer in Anantnag.

The operation began after Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, who was deployed on security duty for the Amarnath pilgrimage, was shot dead by a lone attacker in the Lal Chowk area of Anantnag on Wednesday, July 22. Authorities have described the killing as a suspected militant attack and launched an extensive manhunt across the Kashmir Valley.

TRT World reported that more than 3,000 Kashmiris had been detained amid widespread raids, questioning and searches. The figure was broadly supported by subsequent Indian media reporting, although totals changed as the operation expanded: initial reports placed the number at about 2,500, while police-linked reports by Friday said approximately 3,500 suspected over-ground workers and other individuals had been detained.

Those detained reportedly include former militants, alleged separatist workers, people previously listed by police as “over-ground workers,” former stone-throwing suspects and young men summoned from towns and villages across Kashmir. Authorities have not publicly disclosed how many detainees are accused of direct involvement in the Anantnag attack or how many have since been released.

As part of the security operation, joint teams of the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force demolished the family homes of two men whom officials identified as active members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba armed group.

Indian officials named the men as Adil Thokar and Haroon Rashid Ganaie, both from Anantnag district. The authorities said the demolitions were carried out because of their alleged militant connections. Neither man was reported to have been present in the houses when the structures were destroyed.

The demolitions, mass detentions and house-to-house searches have prompted renewed accusations that the Indian government is imposing collective punishment on civilian families and communities rather than limiting its response to individuals against whom evidence exists.

Kashmiri religious and political leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq expressed concern over what he described as large-scale detentions, questioning and harassment of young people across the Valley.

Addressing worshippers at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid, he said the killing of any person was unacceptable and called for those responsible for the police officer’s death to be identified and prosecuted through the law.

However, he said the act of violence committed by one person could not justify collective punishment against civilians. He also criticised the demolition of homes as an extrajudicial measure that would deepen public resentment.

Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a high-level security review following the attack and directed the police, military and intelligence agencies to intensify counterinsurgency operations.

According to an official statement cited by Indian media, Sinha asked security forces to remain highly vigilant, strengthen intelligence-led operations and proactively counter emerging threats.

Indian authorities maintain that such operations are necessary to dismantle militant support networks, identify suspects and prevent further attacks, particularly during the Amarnath pilgrimage.

At the time of publication, there was no comprehensive official list of those detained, no public breakdown of the evidence against them and no confirmation of how many would face formal charges.

Human rights advocates have repeatedly raised concerns over the use of mass detention, punitive demolition and broad counterterrorism powers in Kashmir.

Critics argue that destroying the homes of suspects’ relatives without establishing individual responsibility in court violates due process and places punishment on entire families. They also warn that indiscriminate detentions can expose civilians to prolonged questioning, mistreatment and detention without prompt access to legal representation.

Similar accusations followed the large-scale crackdown after the April 2025 Pahalgam attack, when more than 2,000 Kashmiris were reportedly detained and several homes linked to alleged militants were destroyed. Residents and rights advocates described those measures as collective retaliation, while Indian authorities defended them as part of efforts to disrupt militant networks.

The latest crackdown has revived those concerns and intensified debate over whether India’s security response is targeting those responsible for violence or subjecting the wider Kashmiri population to punishment without trial.