NIA raids LeT OGWs’ premises in Poonch

Poonch: National Investigation Agency (NIA) Saturday conducted simultaneous raids at five locations, which were residential premises of Over Ground Workers (OGWs) linked with LeT, in Poonch district, in connection with the Dhangri terror attack case.

The case related to the terrorist attack on January 1, 2023 in Dhangri village of Rajouri, wherein seven civilians lost their lives.

NIA teams were assisted by officers of local police and civil administration.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), in an official statement, said that it conducted raids at the premises of several suspects in Poonch district on Saturday.

“These raids were conducted in connection with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) attack in Dhangri village of Rajouri district, in which five civilians were killed and several seriously injured in January this year,” it said.

“Raids were conducted at five locations across Gursai village of Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district. NIA teams made extensive searches at the locations, which were the residential premises of Over Ground Workers (OGWs) linked with LeT, a proscribed terrorist outfit. Several digital devices and documents containing incriminating data and content have been seized and are being scrutinised for unravelling the conspiracy,” it mentioned.

Two accused namely Nisar Ahmed alias Haji Nisar and Mushtaq Hussain, were arrested by the NIA in the case (RC-01/2023/NIA/JMU) on August 31, 2023. They are currently lodged in Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal, Jammu.

“Disclosures made by these two men, along with inputs gathered by the NIA, led to today’s raids. NIA investigations have revealed that both the arrested accused had harboured the terrorists, who had carried out the deadly attack in Dhangri village of Rajouri on January 1, this year,” the statement said.

They had provided logistics support to the terrorists for more than two months and had sheltered them in a hideout that they had built. The duo, as per the investigations, had been operating on the directions of Pakistan-based LeT handlers, namely Saifullah alias Sajid Jutt, Abu Qatal alias Qatal Sindhi and Mohd Qasim, it added.

The attack case was initially registered as FIR no 01/2023 at Police Station Rajouri under sections 302/ 307 /120-B/452/323 of IPC; sections 13/16/18 of UA (P) Act 1967, and sections 7/27 of Arms Act. NIA, which had taken over and re-registered the case on January 13, is carrying out further investigations.