The Counter Intelligence wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday conducted raids at several locations across the Valley linked to a UAPA case and busted a transnational terror recruitment module run by the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit, officials said.
The Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) carried out extensive searches in Srinagar, Ganderbal and Shopian districts. The operation led to the exposure of a recruitment module that was operating in coordination with handlers across the border and with support from a network based in Bangladesh, officials added.
Searches were conducted at 10 locations in the Kashmir Valley following warrants issued by the Special Judge designated under the NIA Act in Srinagar. The action was linked to FIR No. 01/2026 registered under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at the CIK police station, officials said. During the investigation, it emerged that the module was being handled by LeT terrorist Shabir Ahmad Lone, officials said.
Lone is a native of the Kangan area in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir and operates under multiple aliases, including Raju and Zafar Saddique, they said.
Officials said the handler is highly radicalised and trained and had undergone structured arms training programmes — ‘Daura-e-Aam’ and ‘Daura-e-Khas’ — in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Under ‘Daura-e-Aam’, recruits receive basic training in small arms handling and grenade throwing for 21 days. This is followed by the three-month specialised ‘Daura-e-Khas’ training, which includes handling AK rifles, light machine guns, rocket launchers and making improvised explosive devices.
Officials said Lone initially worked as an over-ground worker (OGW) for a terror outfit in the late 1990s before formally joining the Lashkar-e-Taiba in the early 2000s. "He later infiltrated into India via the Bangladesh border and has remained actively involved in terror-related activities, including conspiracy in high-profile attacks. After facing legal proceedings in India in the past, he exfiltrated to Bangladesh, where he has since been operating and coordinating terrorist recruitment and network expansion," the official added.
Investigations have revealed that Lone remains in close contact with senior leaders of banned terrorist organisations and has played a key role in reviving cross-border terror modules recently unearthed in different parts of the country.
Officials believe he is currently based in Bangladesh and continues to direct operations through a network of associates and over-ground workers. He is considered a most-wanted terrorist operating from foreign soil, they added.
Earlier, the CIK had arrested Lone’s close associate Irfan Ahmad Wani, a 45-year-old resident of Heerpura in Shopian district, who was working as a religious functionary at a local mosque, officials said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Wani was in continuous contact with the handler and other terrorists based in Pakistan and Afghanistan through encrypted messaging platforms. He allegedly facilitated recruitment, radicalisation and logistical support at the local level, officials added.
Investigators also found that the module relied heavily on encrypted communication platforms and digital tools to maintain secrecy and coordinate with handlers across borders.
During Thursday’s searches, officials recovered incriminating material including digital devices, SIM cards, mobile phones, laptops and documents relevant to the investigation.
Officials said the ongoing investigation aims to dismantle the wider terror ecosystem by identifying and taking strict legal action against all those involved, including over-ground workers, facilitators, conduits and sympathisers operating both within Jammu and Kashmir and from foreign locations, including Bangladesh.
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