India

Kupwara Terror Network Dismantled, Ex-Militant-Turned-'Hybrid Terrorist' Held With Weapons

By PTI

Security forces dismantled a terror module linked to the banned Hizbul Mujahideen outfit in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, police said. The operation was launched after Handwara police received credible intelligence about an ex-terrorist functioning as a 'hybrid terrorist' within the Handwara-Kupwara region. According to a police spokesperson, a 'hybrid terrorist' is an unlisted, radicalised individual who carries out specific violent or subversive tasks on behalf of handlers before returning to normal civilian life to avoid detection. Acting on the tip-off, security personnel conducted a targeted operation in Handwara town and, following a thorough search, apprehended the suspect, identified as Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Kruhmura in Handwara. During the operation, authorities recovered a Chinese-made pistol, two magazines, and 16 rounds of ammunition from his possession. The spokesperson revealed that Bhat had a prior criminal history, having been arrested twice in earlier terrorism-related cases. Police have registered a new case against him at the Handwara police station and are conducting further investigations to uncover the complete scope of the terror module, including its network and related activities.