LG Sinha’s Relentless Offensive on Terror Ecosystem: Five More Terror-Linked Employees Axed

• During the last five years, 86 government officials were sacked, including sons of Pakistan-based terror chief Syed Salahuddin, for their links with terrorists and proscribed terror outfits.

In a fresh and forceful strike against the terror ecosystem embedded within government institutions, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday terminated five more government employees for their proven links with terrorist organisations, sending a strong message of zero tolerance against terror and its facilitators.

With the latest dismissals, the total number of government employees sacked for terror links over the past five years has risen to 86, a list that also includes the sons of Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. Officials said the crackdown is part of a sustained campaign to cleanse government machinery of “sleeper operatives” planted by terror outfits and Pakistan’s ISI over several decades.

Sources said the action is aimed at uprooting the entire terror-support infrastructure operating from within the system. “These individuals were time bombs, silently weakening institutions and compromising national security while drawing salaries from the public exchequer,” a senior security official said.

Since launching the major offensive in 2021, LG Sinha has spearheaded what officials describe as a systematic dismantling of terror networks—from financiers and recruiters to OGWs and logistical facilitators. Security agencies say the non-kinetic strategy of removing terror sympathisers from government service has dealt a major blow to militant networks operating in Jammu and Kashmir.

Officials said Sinha’s approach has combined firmness with fairness—while cracking down on terror enablers, the administration has also focused on rehabilitation and employment for genuine victims of militancy. “Compassion for the innocent and zero tolerance for terrorists define his leadership,” officials said, adding that the results are now visible on the ground.

Profiles of the Five Terminated Employees

1. Mohammad Ishfaq (Teacher)

• Appointed as Rehbar-e-Taleem and confirmed as a teacher in 2013, Ishfaq was found working for Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Investigators said he was in regular contact with LeT commander Mohammad Amin alias Abu Khubaib, a Government of India-designated terrorist operating from Pakistan.
• He was assigned an operational role and tasked with assassinating a police officer in Doda in early 2022. Arrested in April 2022 before executing the plot, police recovered arms and ammunition from him and his associate. Interrogation revealed he misused his position to radicalise students and push youth towards militancy. Sources said he continues to indoctrinate inmates even from jail, making him a key LeT asset.

2. Tariq Ahmad Rah (Laboratory Technician)

• Engaged in 2011 and confirmed in 2016 at SDH Bijbehara, Anantnag, Tariq was influenced by Hizbul Mujahideen through his uncle Amin Baba alias Abid, a former HM divisional commander.
• His role surfaced during an SIA probe into Amin Baba’s escape to Pakistan in 2005. Tariq allegedly facilitated his stay in Anantnag and arranged his transport to the Attari-Wagah border, enabling his exfiltration. Intelligence agencies say Amin Baba now operates from Islamabad, coordinating with ISI, LeT and JeM, training cadres in PoJK and planning attacks. Though arrested under UAPA and later released on bail, Tariq is suspected to have resumed terror-linked activities.

3. Bashir Ahmad Mir (Assistant Lineman, PHE Department)

In government service since 1988, Bashir allegedly functioned as an active LeT Over Ground Worker (OGW) in Gurez, Bandipora, guiding terrorist movement, providing shelter, and passing security inputs.

His role was exposed in September 2021 when police neutralised two LeT terrorists hiding in his house and recovered two AK-47 rifles and ammunition. Though arrested, he later secured medical bail. Officials said such insiders pose a grave threat to national security.

4. Farooq Ahmad Bhat (Field Worker, Forest Department)

• Posted in Anantnag, Farooq allegedly worked for Hizbul Mujahideen and assisted a former MLA with suspected militant links. Investigators said he helped plan Amin Baba’s escape using his government ID to bypass checkpoints and dropping him near the international border.
• He was arrested in 2024 and released on bail in 2025, but intelligence inputs suggest he remains in contact with terror operatives and sympathisers.

5. Mohammad Yousuf (Driver, Health & Medical Education Department)

• Appointed in 2009 and posted at Bemina, Srinagar, Yousuf allegedly acted as a logistics courier for HM handlers based in Pakistan. On July 20, 2024, police intercepted his vehicle and recovered a pistol, ammunition, a grenade and ₹5 lakh in cash.
• Interrogation revealed the consignment was meant for a terrorist on instructions from his Pakistani handler. He also admitted to supplying mobile phones to jailed terrorists to maintain contact with handlers across the border.

‘Time Bombs Inside the System’

Security officials said terror outfits and ISI had systematically planted operatives inside government departments over decades to weaken institutions from within. “LG Sinha’s offensive since 2021 has shattered this silent network. The backbone of the terror ecosystem has been severely damaged,” sources said.

Officials maintained that the purge will continue as part of a long-term strategy to ensure that no institution remains vulnerable to terror infiltration, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to zero tolerance against terrorism and its support networks.