Law & Justice

Kashmir Police Report Only One Active Local Terrorist, but Threat Persists

By Peerzada Ashiq

The number of active local terrorists in Kashmir has fallen to one, but security forces remain on alert, said Inspector General of Police Sujit Kumar on Thursday, November 5, 2026. "One terrorist who orchestrated the Anantnag attack on July 25, 2026 remains the lone active local in Kashmir. He is supported by a few foreign terrorists, who keep on transiting from one point to another and constantly change their location. We are tracking them," Kumar said. Police identified Lateef Ahmad, 21, a resident of south Kashmir’s Kulgam, as the terrorist behind the Anantnag attack that left one policeman dead in Anantnag’s Lal Chowk. Kumar said the upper reaches of the Poonch‑Budgam axis, connecting the Pir Panjal valley with the Kashmir valley, "was being dominated by specialised policemen." The route is considered key for terrorists to transit from the Line of Control in the Pir Panjal valley into the Kashmir valley. "Policemen were dominating the heights. Security forces were taking all measures to track the foreign terrorists," he added. Kumar refused to disclose details on the technology used by the hiding terrorists to bypass online tracking and communicate across the border, saying, "Whatever technology is being employed, they are on our radar." Regarding the stringent security protocols on the highway in Kashmir, Kumar said these were put in place after previous terror incidents. "Threats remain there. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are being recovered. This is a sensitive issue and all considerations are being factored in," he said. Kumar also highlighted three major challenges involving local youth: drug abuse, involvement in cybercrime and violation of traffic rules. "I appeal to youth and elders to come forward and report cases of drug abuse. The police will stand by them and extend all support," he said. This year, the police have arrested 1,941 locals in 1,651 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. "Narco kingpins, whether here or across the border, distribute the earnings through overground workers to push terrorism," Kumar said. The police have attached properties worth ₹154 crore of the accused, and ₹1.71 crore was frozen in bank accounts. Kumar said the police received around 12,385 complaints of cyber fraud, "with many local youths involved in it."