SIA Raids Uncover Terror Links in North Kashmir
In a major counter-terrorism operation, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir conducted widespread raids across multiple locations in North and Central Kashmir on May 17, 2025. The action marks another step in the region’s intensified efforts to dismantle cross-border terror networks and their local facilitators.
SIA Raids Kashmir
The SIA teams launched simultaneous searches in Sopore, Baramulla, Handwara, Ganderbal, and Srinagar. These locations were targeted based on specific intelligence inputs pointing to the presence of suspected overground workers (OGWs) who are believed to have links with Pakistan-based terrorist handlers.
Investigating officers reportedly seized digital devices, encrypted communication records, documents, and other materials during the raids. These items have been taken for forensic analysis and are expected to shed light on the logistical and operational infrastructure supporting terrorism in the Valley.
Terror Networks
The individuals under investigation are accused of facilitating terrorism through digital platforms, providing logistical support, and relaying strategic information about Indian security forces to handlers across the border. According to officials, communication was maintained via encrypted apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.
Initial findings suggest involvement in the dissemination of radical content and recruitment messaging. The SIA suspects that these terror associates were in touch with commanders from proscribed organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, actively helping spread anti-India propaganda and planning local disruptions.
Sopore Crackdown
Among the most scrutinized regions in the operation was Sopore, a town known for both its economic importance and history of militancy. The SIA believes that certain local elements in Sopore were playing a crucial role in enabling external terror missions by offering logistical assistance and reconnaissance information.
The agency’s recent actions are part of a long-term strategy to eliminate the support structures that sustain terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. These raids, particularly in the sensitive Sopore region, are viewed as vital to weakening enemy communication channels and suppressing the ground-level insurgency architecture.
The SIA has reaffirmed its commitment to proactively rooting out terrorism in the Union Territory and has called on citizens to remain alert and report suspicious movements. With more leads under examination, additional operations are expected to follow in the coming weeks.
