NIA carries out 8 raids across J&K

Srinagar, Dec 5: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Tuesday raided several locations across Jammu and Kashmir in connection with the terror conspiracy hatched and operationalised by the offshoots of terrorist organisations like Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, and Al-Qaeda.

The NIA officials said that teams of NIA cracked down on eight locations in the seven districts of Poonch, Shopian, Pulwama, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Kupwara, and Srinagar.

The locations raided on Tuesday were residential premises of hybrid terrorists and Overground Workers (OGWs) associated with the newly-formed affiliates and offshoots of the banned terrorist outfits.

“Extensive searches were also conducted at the premises of the cadres and sympathisers of these newly floated organisations, which included The Resistance Front (TRF), United Liberation Front Jammu and Kashmir (ULFJ&K), Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH), Jammu and Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers, People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), among others,” they said. “The searches led to the seizure of several digital devices containing large volumes of incriminating data and documents by the NIA, which has been investigating the conspiracy of the recently launched offshoots of the banned terror outfits to destabilise J&K through violent terrorist attacks and activities.”

The probe agency said the NIA had registered the case (RC-05/2022/NIA/JMU) suo moto on June 21, 2022, to probe the involvement of the cadres, OGWs, and other suspects of the new outfits in the collection and distribution of sticky bombs, magnetic bombs, IEDs, funds, narcotic substances, and arms and ammunition to spread terror, violence, and subversion in J&K.

“NIA investigations so far have revealed that Pakistan-based operatives were using social media platforms to promote terror, and were also using drones to deliver arms and ammunition, explosives, and narcotics to their operatives and cadres in Kashmir,” the NIA said. “These activities were being carried out as part of the terror conspiracy hatched by the banned outfits, backed by their masters in Pakistan. The conspiracy also involved radicalisation of local youth and mobilisation of OGWs to carry out violent and disruptive activities in J&K.”