Homes of five terrorists, including LeT commander, demolished in J&K

In a sweeping crackdown following the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, security forces on Friday demolished the houses of five terrorists across Jammu and Kashmir. The operation, aimed at dismantling Lashkar-e-Taiba’s support infrastructure, took place in Shopian, Pulwama, and Kulgam districts—regions long known for militant activity.

One of the targeted homes was that of Shahid Ahmed Kutte, a Lashkar commander active for over three years. His house in Shopian’s Chotipora village was razed to the ground. Officials believe he played a key role in planning and coordinating cross-border terror operations. The crackdown also targeted Zahid Ahmed’s residence in Kulgam’s Matalam area.

In Pulwama, three more homes were flattened. Ahsan Ul Haq’s house in Murran area was brought down with explosives. Intelligence agencies say Ahsan was trained in Pakistan in 2018 and recently returned to the Valley. The double-storey home of LeT terrorist Ehsan Ahmad Sheikh, active since June 2023, was also destroyed. The final blast occurred in Kachipora, where Haris Ahmad’s residence was razed.

Officials confirmed that cases have been registered against all five men. The action came just a day after the homes of two LeT terrorists—Adil Hussain Thoker and Asif Sheikh, both believed to be directly involved in the Pahalgam shooting—were demolished in similar operations. Reports suggest explosives were deliberately placed inside the structures during demolition.

The Anantnag Police have also released sketches of other suspects believed to be involved in the Pahalgam attack. Two of them, identified as Pakistani nationals Hashim Musa alias Suleman and Ali Bhai alias Talha Bhai, are currently being tracked, and a bounty of Rs 20 lakh has been announced for information leading to their capture.

The Pahalgam attack took place in the picturesque Baisaran Valley, often called "Mini Switzerland", where terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on tourists. With no shelter in the wide-open meadow, panic ensued, and 26 people, including one Nepali tourist, were killed. A joint manhunt by the Army, CRPF, and local police is underway to locate and neutralize the perpetrators.

India has responded with strong retaliatory steps including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed strict action, promising to hunt down every terrorist and those enabling them.