NIA conducts searches at eight locations in Jammu and Kashmir

 Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday raided and subsequently conducted searches at eight locations in Jammu and Kashmir to take investigations into a case of “conspiracy hatched in Pakistan to unleash acts of terror and violence” in the Union Territory, mainly Kashmir Valley.  

The NIA sleuths were being assisted by the personnel of the J&K police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in conducting these raids, the witnesses said.

“The case is related to the terror conspiracy hatched and operationalised by the offshoots of Pakistan-backed proscribed terrorist organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, Al-Qaeda, etc.”, a spokesman of the probe agency said.

He added that several electronic devices and other ‘incriminating’ materials were seized during the “extensive searches” conducted at the residential houses and other premises of the cadres and sympathisers of these offshoots namely The Resistance Front (TRF), United Liberation Front Jammu and Kashmir (ULFJK), Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH), Jammu and Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers, PAAF and others.

“These premises, mainly the residential houses of hybrid terrorists and Overground Workers (OGWs) associated with these newly formed affiliates and offshoots of the banned organizations are located in the Shopian, Pulwama, Srinagar, Ganderbal, Baramulla and Kupwara districts of the Kashmir Valley and the Poonch district of the Jammu region,” the spokesman said.

He added, “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 case of conspiracy of the recently launched offshoots of the banned terror outfits to destabilize J&K through violent terrorist attacks and activities”.

According to a statement issued by the NIA, the case under investigation was registered by it suo moto  in Jammu on June 21 this year “to probe the involvement of the cadres, OGWs and other suspects of the new outfits in the collection and distribution of sticky bombs and magnetic bombs, IEDs, funds, narcotic substances and arms and ammunition to spread terror, violence and subversion in J&K.”

The investigations done, so far, have revealed that Pakistan-based operatives of these organisations were using social media platforms to promote terror whereas drones were utilised to drop arms and ammunition, explosives, narcotics etc. for their onward delivery to their operatives and cadres, mainly in the Kashmir Valley, the NIA said. It added, “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 radicalization of local youth and mobilization of OGWs to carry out violent and disruptive activities in J&K.”