MUZAFFARABAD: Indian security forces have detained around 3,500 people and demolished residential properties in Indian-occupied Kashmir following the killing of a police officer, according to media reports and rights organizations.
Media reports said the crackdown was launched after a police officer was killed in Anantnag district, prompting large-scale raids and security operations across the region.
According to the Kashmir Media Service (KMS), Indian forces demolished two residential houses with explosives during the operation. The report added that nearly 3,500 Kashmiris were taken into custody in widespread raids. Turkish state broadcaster TRT also reported mass arrests in the region.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed concern over the detentions, saying similar actions had followed the Pahalgam attack.
Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti criticized the arrests and demolition of homes, describing them as collective punishment that had no place in a democracy.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International said human rights violations and repression in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir had increased significantly, expressing concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in the disputed territory.
