Srinagar: Authorities blasted the houses of two alleged active Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) militants in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday – hours after a policeman on Amarnath Yatra security duty was shot dead at Lal Chowk, Anantnag.Officials identified the militants as Adil Thokar, a resident of Thokerpora, Guree in Bijbehara, and Haroon Rashid Ganaie, a resident of Hassanpora. Both are among the local militants believed to be active in the Valley. Their families, however, maintained that the two had severed ties with them and had no connection with the households that were demolished. This is the second time forces have demolished Thokar’s house. His earlier house was also demolished last year after the Pahalgam attack.According to neighbours, the army first arrived and “captured” Thokar’s family. “After that, two to three army vehicles came and photographed Thokar’s house as well as the surrounding houses. Then, around 10 pm, they returned and photographed the houses again,” a neighbour, who identified himself as Aarif, told The Wire.“Then, around 11:30 pm, [several] vehicles arrived and at around 3:35 am, they [the forces] blasted the house,” he added.A man walks past the damaged house belonging to Adil Thokar in Thokerpora, Guree, in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Photo: Umar FarooqAccording to Aarif, no prior notice was given to residents to vacate their homes. “Around 8-10 structures have been damaged, but the mosque has suffered the most damage,” he said.Neighbours claimed that the demolished house belonged to Thokar’s brother, Zahid Ahmad. “Even the neighbours are not aware of his whereabouts. In Kashmir, security forces often have more information about missing persons than their families do,” a woman in her 50s, who lives near the Thokar family, told The Wire.According to neighbours, it remains unclear whether Thokar has formally joined a militant outfit or is simply missing. “He has been missing for the last nine years, and there is no photograph confirming his affiliation with any militant outfit,” she said.Locals in Hassanpora confirmed that Ganaie’s house was also blasted in the early hours of Thursday. A neighbour said the house was blasted at around 3:30 am, adding that four to five nearby houses were partially damaged in the explosion.According to neighbours, residents of the surrounding houses were asked to vacate before the blast. “No one knows where he is; he has been missing for the last eight years,” Ganaie’s neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Wire.Children look at Haroon Rashid Ganaie’sdemlished house in Hassanpora, Anantnag district. Photo: Umar Farooq.The action was carried out after the Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi was killed on Wednesday afternoon while on Amarnath Yatra security duty.The demolition of the two houses marks the resumption of a practice that had largely been halted for nearly a year amid a decline in militant violence. Authorities have previously razed houses linked to active militants as part of their counter-insurgency strategy.Massive valley-wide security sweepFollowing the attack, security forces launched extensive searches and raids across the Kashmir Valley, detaining nearly 2,000 suspected Over Ground Workers (OGWs) for questioning and verification.According to police officials, the coordinated operations were conducted across Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Kupwara, Bandipora, Baramulla, Anantnag, Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama districts on the basis of specific intelligence inputs and as part of the investigation into the Anantnag attack.Officials said the crackdown is aimed at identifying and dismantling networks that allegedly provide logistical, financial, communication, transportation and shelter support to militant organisations.Searches were carried out at multiple locations to collect evidence, identify suspects and prevent any attempts by militant groups or their alleged facilitators to carry out further attacks.In a statement, police said the operations are intended to maintain public order, strengthen security and disrupt what they described as the “terror-supporting ecosystem.” They added that intelligence-based operations would continue in coordination with other security and intelligence agencies.Continuing operations against militant infrastructureOfficials said the latest demolitions are part of an ongoing policy targeting properties linked to individuals who have joined militant organisations.A similar drive was undertaken in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 last year, when authorities targeted houses linked to alleged militants.On April 24, 2025, Jammu and Kashmir Police released a list of 14 local militants believed to be active in Kashmir. According to officials, eight of those named have homes that have since been demolished across the Valley.A pattern of counter-insurgency operationsThe demolition of residential properties linked to militants represents a relatively recent development in Kashmir’s counter-insurgency operations. In the past, neighbourhoods have witnessed large-scale destruction, including the military action in parts of Sopore in 1993 and the destruction of the Charar-e-Sharief shrine in 1995, however these incidents occurred under different circumstances.During the surge in militancy led by Hizbul Mujahideen between 2014-2018, many residential structures were damaged during gunfights between militants and security forces. The current practice differs in that houses or properties demolished are independent of encounter sites.In recent years, Jammu and Kashmir Police have increasingly invoked provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to zero-in on properties alleged to be “proceeds of terrorism.” In several such cases, occupants have been permitted to continue residing in such properties but are barred from selling or transferring ownership. The recent demolitions represent a more stringent application of that policy.