Nov 14, Kathmandu - Indian police have launched a massive raid targeting a banned Islamist political party in disputed Kashmir, days after the deadliest blast in the Indian capital in more than a decade.

At least 12 people were killed in a blast in the Old Delhi area near the historic Red Fort on Monday. The latest police operation is not directly linked to the blast. Still, the raids are part of a new security crackdown after the government called the incident a “heinous act of terrorism” and blamed “anti-national forces.”

The raids were carried out in several districts of Indian-administered Kashmir since Wednesday, according to district police. The Kashmir region has been divided between India and Pakistan since the two countries gained independence from British rule in 1947, and both claim full control of the mountainous region. Tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad remain high.

The raids were targeted at Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), according to statements issued by police offices in districts including Awantipora, Bandipore, Ganderbal, Shopian and Sopore. The Hindu-nationalist government led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi banned the JeI-Kashmir branch in 2019, declaring it an “unlawful organisation”.

A statement issued by the Awantipora police said that a “large-scale operation” was being carried out in several places to “destroy the terrorist ecosystem and its supporting infrastructure.” Bandipore police said they had seized “objectionable material,” while Sopore police said they had conducted a “major operation against Jamaat-e-Islami-linked networks” by searching more than 30 locations.

Meanwhile, raids were also carried out at Al-Falah University in Faridabad, on the southern outskirts of the capital Delhi. Security forces on Friday demolished a house in Kashmir's Pulwama district. There has been no official comment from the police on the matter. In previous incidents, law enforcement agencies have a history of destroying the structures of those accused of involvement in attacks.