Srinagar, July 13
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out raids at five locations in Shopian, Awantipora and Pulwama in connection with a terror conspiracy case on Thursday, officials said. NIA sleuths, along with police and CRPF personnel, targeted the premises of hybrid militants and also overground workers of Pakistan-backed banned terrorist organisations.
Some of these newly-floated outfits, including The Resistance Front (TRF), have been found issuing threats to carry out attacks in the Union Territory through social media, officials said.
The NIA also raided the premises of sympathisers and cadres of the newly floated outfits, namely TRF, United Liberation Front Jammu and Kashmir (ULFJ&K), Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH), Jammu and Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers, PAAF and others. These outfits are affiliated to various terror groups, such as Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr and Al-Qaeda.
The spokesman said several digital devices containing large volumes of incriminating data were seized, which have once again put the spotlight on overground workers as an important part of the terror ecosystem in the Valley, which is being dismantled on a continuous basis. Also known as hybrid militants, they provide support to militants and terrorists based in Pakistan, the NIA spokesperson said.
The NIA had registered a suo motu case on June 21, 2022 to investigate the involvement of the cadres and overground workers of terror groups in spreading terror, violence and subversion in J&K.
These cadres and workers have been involved in the collection and distribution of sticky bombs/magnetic bombs, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), funds, narcotic substances, arms and ammunition. “Drones were being used to deliver arms, ammunition, explosives, narcotics, etc., to their operatives and cadres in the Valley. The terror conspiracy relates to plotting by the banned outfits in both physical and cyber space to unleash violent terrorist attacks in J&K with sticky bombs, IEDs and small arms,” it said.
Cracking the whip
- The premises of hybrid militants and also overground workers of Pakistan-backed banned terrorist organisations have been targeted.
- According to the NIA, such elements have been involved in spreading terror, violence and subversion in J&K.