NIA raids five places in South Kashmir in major crackdown on terror ecosystem

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday (July 13) conducted raids at over four locations in South Kashmir including Pulwama and Shopian. The operation was carried out to apprehend the over-ground workers (OGW) associated with newly formed terror groups operating from Pakistan and to disrupt the support networks and activities of such organizations in J-K. 

During the raids, the targeted locations were residential premises of hybrid terrorists and OGWs who are associated with and help the newly established terror outfits with the required resources. All these cadres and workers are being investigated for activities relating to terror, violence, and subversion in J-K.

The probe agency has also suspected their involvement in the collection and distribution of sticky bombs/magnetic bombs, IEDs, funds, narcotic substances, and arms/ammunition.

NIA's crackdown on terror

On Monday (July 10), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out raids at five different locations in South Kashmir’s Shopian, Anantnag and Pulwama in connection with a First Information Report (FIR) on Pakistan's terror conspiracy. The case was registered at the NIA's Jammu Police Station in June 2022.

In their determined efforts to uncover the truth, the NIA has conducted more than 50 raids on this case so far. The agency is also actively working towards dismantling the networks and individuals involved in this conspiracy.

In an official statement, the NIA earlier said, ”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 drones to deliver arms/ammunition, explosives, and narcotics, among other illegal items, to their agents and cadres in Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, the NIA has also listed out the terror outfits for further probe. 

The newly floated terror outfits under the NIA's 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, and others.