J&K: Days after Kulgam terror attack, man with grenade held in Pulwama

On Monday, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir arrested a local man named Tousef Ahmad Dar in the Pulwama district. The suspect was apprehended with a hand grenade, three anti-national posters, and a mobile phone during a security drive that was heightened following the recent terror attack in Kulgam. Dar, who was identified as a local, was reportedly seen walking towards a security checkpoint set up jointly by the J&K police, Army, and CRPF when he began to flee upon noticing the forces. He was later chased down and caught at a short distance from the checkpoint.

The police have booked Dar under several laws, including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). This arrest comes in the wake of the two migrant workers' killings in Kulgam on July 31, which led to the establishment of numerous checkpoints across Kashmir to maintain peace and security. Just a day before the Kulgam attack, on July 23, a J&K head constable, Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, was shot dead in south Kashmir’s Anantnag, marking the first such incident in Kashmir since the Pahalgam massacre that claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists, on April 22, 2022.

Both the Kulgam and Anantnag attacks were allegedly carried out by a Lashkar-e-Toiba offshoot called The Resistance Front (TRF).

On Monday, Kashmir Inspector General VK Birdi reviewed the security situation and directed robust counter-insurgency measures. He emphasized seamless coordination among all agencies, seamless coordination among all agencies, and reviewed security for highways, rail tracks, and stations across the Valley. The IGP also ordered the placement of "dynamic nakas" and enhanced foot patrolling, especially at night, at vulnerable locations and inter-district boundaries.