Srinagar, July 23 -- Srinagar - Political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday questioned the security crackdown that followed the killing of a police constable in Anantnag, urging authorities to avoid punitive measures that could alienate the public even as they unequivocally condemned the militant attack.

The criticism came a day after Head Constable Ashiq Hussain, who was deployed on Amarnath Yatra security duty, was shot dead by a lone militant at Lal Chowk in Anantnag. Hours later, security forces launched a massive operation across the Valley, detaining more than a thousand suspected overground workers (OGWs), while authorities demolished the houses of two alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants in south Kashmir.

Chief Ministe...