SRINAGAR – Indian authorities have detained hundreds of separatist leadersand Muslim activists in an escalating crackdown in disputed Kashmir withthe region remaining on high alert following a suicide bomb attack.
Police said about 400 arrests had been made over the weekend in late-nightraids aimed at weakening support for groups resisting Indian rule in theHimalayan territory also claimed in full by Pakistan.
The sweeps follow the February 14 attack on an Indian convoy in Pulwamadistrict which killed 40 soldiers and was claimed by Pakistan-basedIslamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
The attack has pushed India and Pakistan into a fresh round ofsabre-rattling as thousands of extra paramilitary troops are deployed toKashmir.
A senior police official, who requested anonymity to speak with the media,said most of those swept up in the raids were linked to “fundamentalistreligious groups”.
“We don’t want militants to operate with high morale after the Pulwamaattack. We are hitting at their support base with urgency,” the officersaid.
“We want to starve the terrorists of their support network and finish themoff like fish without water.”
Separatist groups whose leaders were rounded up called for a general strikeSunday across Kashmir over what they called a “reign of repression”.
India has accused Pakistan of supporting the attack — a claim rejected bythe Islamabad government — and there have been widespread calls for PrimeMinister Narendra Modi to order a reprisal strike.
Modi has promised a “jaw-breaking response”, spiking tensions in Kashmirwhere many fear a military strike against Pakistan is possible.
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At least 1000 paramilitary troopers were rushed to the region and more wereon the way, with concerns for security ahead of India’s general electiondue by May, a statement issued by the governor’s office said Sunday.
Helicopters and fighter jets flew low over the Kashmir Valley lateSaturday, sparking panic as residents rushed to shops to buy fuel and otheressentials.
The government has issued urgent appeals to quell the panic in the region,where hundreds of paramilitary troops are patrolling the streets andmanning additional roadblocks.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since they gainedindependence in 1947, and the nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two warsover the Himalayan territory.
Several militant groups have been fighting Indian forces for decades in theterritory New Delhi controls, including JeM which claimed responsibilityfor this month’s car bomb attack.
Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed in 30 yearsof fighting in the restive region.
Police said Sunday that at least one suspected rebel and an Indian policeofficer were killed during a gun battle in the Kashmir Valley. – APP/AFP