LeT terrorists' houses demolished in Anantnag after cop killing
Synopsis
Hours after a head constable was shot dead at Lal Chowk in Anantnag, authorities demolished the houses of two LeT terrorists — one of them for the second time. With TRF claiming the attack, over 3,000 overground workers detained, and a red alert in force, J&K's security establishment has responded with its sharpest crackdown since Pahalgam.
Key Takeaways
Houses of Aadil Hussain Thokar (Guree, Bijbehara) and Haroon Ganai (Hassanpora) were demolished in Anantnag on Thursday, 24 July .
Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi of the 3rd Battalion of Armed Police was killed in a terror attack at Lal Chowk, Anantnag .
The Resistance Front (TRF) , an offshoot of the UN-designated group Lashkar-e-Taiba , claimed responsibility for the attack.
Aadil Thokar's house had previously been demolished after the Pahalgam Baisaran terror attack ; a newly rebuilt structure at the same site was also razed.
Over 3,000 overground workers (OGWs) of terrorist outfits were rounded up across the Kashmir Valley following the killing.
A red alert is in force and a manhunt for the assailants is ongoing.
Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir demolished the houses of two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in Anantnag district on Thursday, 24 July, a day after a head constable was killed in a terror attack at Lal Chowk, Anantnag. The overnight operation targeted the residences of Aadil Hussain Thokar of Guree, Bijbehara, and Haroon Ganai of Hassanpora in South Kashmir.
The Demolition Operation
Authorities razed both properties during a late-night operation on Wednesday. Notably, Aadil Thokar's original house had already been demolished following the Pahalgam Baisaran terror attack; a newly constructed structure at the same location was also levelled during Thursday's action. Haroon Ganai's house in Hassanpora was similarly brought down as part of the crackdown on terrorist support infrastructure.
The Attack That Triggered the Action
Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, of the 3rd Battalion of Armed Police, was on patrolling duty when he was killed in the attack at Lal Chowk, Anantnag. He belonged to the Beerwah area of Budgam district. A wreath-laying ceremony was held at the district police lines in Anantnag to honour the slain officer, and hundreds attended his funeral in his native town.
Who Claimed Responsibility
The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility for the killing of the head constable. TRF is widely regarded as an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based, UN-designated terrorist group. The organisation was formed using cadres of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen following the 2019 abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status. TRF employs non-religious nomenclature to project a secular image, but has carried out targeted killings of members of religious minority communities, according to police.
Official Response and Security Measures
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah both condemned the attack. In a post on X, the L-G vowed that the murder of the policeman would not go unpunished and that those responsible would be brought to justice. Police subsequently rounded up over 3,000 overground workers (OGWs) of terrorist outfits across multiple districts of the Kashmir Valley. A red alert has been issued across the region, and a large-scale manhunt for the assailants is ongoing.
Point of View
The second follows Anantnag — points to a pattern: the same individuals remain embedded in a support ecosystem that survives initial crackdowns. That is the harder question mainstream coverage skips. Rounding up 3,000 OGWs is a significant operational response, but the sheer scale of the number also signals how deep the overground network runs. TRF's continued ability to carry out attacks in urban Anantnag, despite sustained security pressure since 2019, suggests the organisation has adapted faster than the response framework. The political condemnation from both the L-G and the Chief Minister is notable for its unanimity, but accountability for the intelligence failure that allowed the attack to occur has not been addressed publicly.
NationPress
23 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were the houses of LeT terrorists demolished in Anantnag?
Authorities demolished the houses of two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, Aadil Hussain Thokar and Haroon Ganai, in Anantnag as a punitive measure following the killing of Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi in a terror attack at Lal Chowk. The demolitions are part of an ongoing crackdown on terrorist support infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir.
Who was killed in the Anantnag terror attack?
Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi of the 3rd Battalion of Armed Police was killed while on patrolling duty at Lal Chowk, Anantnag. He belonged to the Beerwah area of Budgam district.
Which group claimed responsibility for the Anantnag attack?
The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility for the killing. TRF is widely identified as an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based, UN-designated terrorist organisation, formed after the 2019 abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status.
What security measures followed the Anantnag attack?
A red alert was issued across the region, and police rounded up over 3,000 overground workers (OGWs) of terrorist outfits across multiple districts of the Kashmir Valley. A large-scale manhunt for the assailants is currently underway.
Had Aadil Thokar's house been demolished before?
Yes. Aadil Hussain Thokar's original house had previously been demolished following the Pahalgam Baisaran terror attack. A newly constructed structure built at the same location was also razed during the overnight operation on Wednesday.
