NIA conducts raids on terror outfits in South Kashmir, literature, digital devices seized

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday, July 11, carried out searches in five locations across three districts of  Kashmir in connection with its ongoing crackdown on the newly floated offshoots of various proscribed Pakistan-backed terrorist outfits. The searches were conducted in Anantnag, Shopian (Turkawangam and Kapran villages) and Pulwama districts, during which incriminating literature and several digital devices were seized by the officials. 

NIA conducts raids on terror outfits in South Kashmir

“Today’s raids were at the residential premises of hybrid terrorists and Overground Workers (OGWs) linked with the newly-formed offshoots and affiliates of several banned Kashmiri terrorist outfits such as the Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) and Al-Badr. Premises of sympathisers and cadres of these organisations were also raided,” said NIA officials.

All these cadres and workers are being investigated for activities relating to terror, violence and subversion in J&K. NIA suspects their involvement in the collection and distribution of sticky bombs/magnetic bombs, IEDs, funds, narcotic substances and arms/ammunitions. 

The J&K terror conspiracy case (RC-05/2022/NIA/JMU) was registered suo moto by NIA  on 21st June 2022. It relates to a physical and online conspiracy by the banned terror organisations to launch a series of violent terrorist attacks in J&K with sticky bombs, IEDs and small arms etc. The Pakistan-backed outfits are also engaged in radicalizing local youth and mobilizing overground workers, to disturb peace and communal harmony in J&K.

As per NIA investigations, “Pak-based operatives behind the conspiracy were using various social media platforms to spread terror among the people. They were also using drones to deliver arms/ammunition, explosives, narcotics etc. to their agents and cadres in the Kashmir valley,”. 

The newly floated terror outfits under investigation include-- The Resistance Front (TRF), United Liberation Front Jammu & Kashmir (ULFJ&K), Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH), Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers, PAAF and others. These outfits are affiliated with major banned terrorist organisations like Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, Al-Qaeda, etc.

(Image: Republic)

Hatching conspiracy to conduct terror attacks 

The case relates to the hatching of a conspiracy, both physical and in cyberspace, and plans by the proscribed terrorist organisations to unleash terrorist attacks in the Union territory with sticky bombs, IEDs, and small arms. 

In a major success for the National Investigation Agency (NIA), a court in Delhi yesterday (July 10) convicted four operatives of the proscribed terror organisation Indian Mujahideen (IM) for hatching a criminal conspiracy to wage war against the Indian government by carrying out terrorist attacks across the country. The case was in connection to the arrests made by the NIA in 2012. 

The NIA on Monday, June 26, raided 12 locations in Jammu and Kashmir to investigate a case related to the Pakistan-backed terror network of Overground Workers (OWG). Early this morning, the NIA carried out a raid at the residence of a local active terrorist of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Riyaz Ahmed Dar, of Sathergund, Kakapora in Pulwama district, South Kashmir. The investigating agency questioned Dar's family and seized certain documents.

NIA sleuths, assisted by Jammu and Kashmir Police and paramilitary forces, raided several locations in North and South Kashmir linked with "sympathisers, cadres, and overground workers" of terror outfits. 

NIA official, on condition of anonymity, said, "The raids were part of the ongoing investigations of the NIA in the terror conspiracy case, involving the activities of OGWs and cadres in support of various newly-launched outfits, such as The Resistance Front (TRF), Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH), Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers, PAAF, United Liberation Front Jammu and Kashmir (ULFJ&K), among others."