SRINAGAR: Security forces conducted three controlled blasts early Friday to demolish the family home of Dr Umar un-Nabi, the alleged Delhi suicide bomber, in Koil village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. The demolition coincided with a J&K Police operation to trace potential sources of vehicles that could be “misused for unlawful activities”.
Authorities evacuated Umar’s family and residents of nearby houses before explosives were used to bring down the two-storey structure between 12.30am and 2.30am. Locals said around a dozen surrounding homes suffered some damage from the blasts.
J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah criticised the action, saying such measures only stoke public anger. “If terrorism could be stopped by these actions, it would have ended long ago,” he told reporters in Jammu. He added that terrorism had previously declined in the region “without the need to blow up anyone’s home”.
National Conference MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi described the demolition as “collective punishment” following Umar’s attack near Delhi’s Red Fort last Monday, in which his explosive-laden vehicle killed 13 people and injured many others. Umar, a doctor based in Faridabad, had been missing since the arrest of an associate suspected of involvement with a Jaish-e-Mohammed module.
“Rendering an entire family homeless during Kashmir’s harsh winter, without evidence, a court order, or any law linking them to the attack, is an act of cruelty,” Mehdi said. “It brings neither justice for the victims nor security for the region.”
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti also urged the government to target only those directly involved in terrorism. “We support action against perpetrators, but why punish their friends, relatives, parents and siblings?” she asked in Budgam.
Amid fears of terror modules attempting to procure vehicles for attacks similar to the Delhi blast, police have intensified checks across the Valley. Officers visited car dealerships, as well as fertiliser and chemical shops in Pulwama, reviewing sales records for suspicious transactions. “Our aim is to prevent misuse, strengthen compliance, and ensure transparency,” an officer said, noting that scrutiny includes end-user verification.
Police teams also examined transaction logs, Aadhaar details, phone numbers and other information at vehicle dealerships in Shopian, extending the checks to used-car and scrap dealers.
In Awantipora, authorities attached the home of Mohammad Yaqoob Sheikh of Namblabal Pampore, a member of the separatist Jammu and Kashmir People’s League and believed to be in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Police said the legally approved attachment was part of broader efforts to dismantle secessionist networks and curb unlawful activities threatening national security.
